Dust in the Wind
by Buried In Ash
Summary: Alcohol and bad decisions go hand in hand. Courier Six has learned this first hand and knows how bad those decisions can be. What he wasn't expecting was for things to take the turn they did.
1. Red in the Rose

**Story ID image courtesy of Simon Ward**

* * *

You'd think that after getting shot in the head, things couldn't get worse. Of course, that's assuming you can still think while your brains are splattered across the concrete. But assume you do. Assume that after surviving what would normally be fatal injury, and probably suffering massive brain damage, things can't possibly get any worse. But then, instead of putting as much distance between you and whatever tried to empty your skull, for whatever reason you decide it's a good idea to go after them. Adding to this, you decide to piss off an army of slavers, rob a centuries old casino, get stuck between a nigh-unstoppable preacher and a crazed tribal faction of the aforementioned slavers, become the slave to a bunch of scientists who like cross-breeding unrelated animals and lobotomizing people, and then, as a vacation, you get to stop a few more nuclear warheads from blowing the crumbling remains of civilization to kingdom come. Can't get worse right?

THEN WHY DON'T YOU TRY RUNNING A FUCKING COUNTRY! IT'S SO GOD DAMN FUN!

…

Sorry, sorry, lost my cool for a bit there. I've had a lot on my plate. It'd be easier to skip some whining and give you the history lesson some other time. I guess I'll have to give you some context, there isn't a lot of that these days.

I'd start by telling you my name, except I don't know it either. 'Member that brain damage I mentioned before? Yea, kinda makes it hard to introduce yourself when you don't have a name to give. So I've been working with what I got, call me Courier Six. Or Six if you're feeling friendly… Or Courier if you need impromptu dental work.

Ready to continue? ...Alright, gimme a sec to collect my thoughts.

…

By this point, most people are familiar with what went down at the Dam. That's Hoover Dam, if you didn't get the memo. Anyway, Legion got their collective shit pushed in by the NCR and myself. Calling it a battle paints the picture like the legion had a prayer in the first place. Honestly, it was more like Bitter Springs part deux. But with all the leg work I'd had to do to get the right people ready, it shouldn't have been a surprise. So we finish clear cutting the legion, raze their camp, and I introduce Lanius to his new home in the dirt. I get a moment of silence, a few seconds to savor the hard work I've put in. Honestly, there was so much horse-shit that lead up to that moment even having a chance to catch my breath was like being given two shots of Med-X and a bottle of scotch. Not that swill they brew at the Atomic Wrangler either. I mean honest to god, aged in a barrel for thirty years and wrapped in a blue label Gold.

Then that piece of shit Oliver blows the gate off the hinges and struts in with a couple of rangers. When I say strut, I _mean_ strut. The guy walked in like he just got head from president Kimball and was planning to rake in every bit of sunshine he could from my work. The man was a glory hound who would leave his men to bleed if it meant he got another star. You better believe I got a kick out of what came next.

So the securitrons I, _*ahem*_ , borrowed from Mr. House rolled up and drove the prick and his four rangers back to the strip. In summation, that was the battle of Hoover Dam.

The important part is what came afterwards.

I'll be up-front, my hatred for Oliver and Kimball didn't extend to the rest of the NCR. I'd met so many of their people who were getting the shaft for the crap their leaders kept pulling that I'd spent a good many hours trying to help where I could. 'Course it didn't excuse their otherwise inept leadership. So, after having the securitrons basically drag Ambassador Crocker and his staff into the Lucky 38, I had a nice chat with them.

Well… Chat isn't the right word for it I suppose. More like I gave them an ultimatum while holding them at gun point. I wasn't in a good mood, sue me. My proposition was simple, leave the people of New Vegas to rebuild without NCR influence. This included any NCR settlers that had already planted their roots. In exchange, I'd repair the dam and let the NCR draw power from it. They'd be free to expand elsewhere, but if they tried anything stupid they'd be met with force.

Crocker… wasn't particularly happy about it and didn't want to deliver the message. Of course, that was before I reminded him he'd probably be executed by the NCR for _not_ delivering it.

I heard from Kimball a week later. His contempt was obvious and no politician had enough grease to smile that away. But he would rather save face with his people than throw more away in another pointless war. He had a few concessions he wanted, namely for the embassy to remain open and for troops to Remain at camp McCarran. I was a bit leery about McCarran, but I still had pretty decent ties with the commanding officers stationed there, so I figured they'd be fine. As far as I'm aware I haven't been proven wrong either.

So that's how it went. In the span of a month we'd fixed the damage done to the dam, the NCR got their power, and Vegas got left alone. Overall, this's probably the closest anyone can get to everything they want.

… That was five months ago. Y'see… Some things never change. Should've figured my luck wouldn't be one of them.

*Six months since independence*

I sat at the desk I kept in the main bedroom of the presidential suite. Radio New Vegas trickled out of the radio in my pipboy, keeping in rhythm with the cardiograph that beeped in the back of my mind. I shuffled through the literal mountain of papers that surrounded me. Tarriffs, Acquisitions forms, Funding and Budget sheets, an up to date copy of the newspaper, and trade agreements. The past week alone had been nothing but trouble. I'd had to order a number of farmers' crops be burned. We'd been getting rumors of green humanoid creatures prowling around at night. Didn't take long to connect the dots between the spores from vault 22 and the growing rumors. Keely'd warned me it might happen, we'd burned them in the vault but there was a chance they'd gotten out. I've got her working with a task force to make sure no other farmers will be affected.

I had to compensate the farmer, which meant taking money from the Vegas treasury. I.E. the banks of the Casinos. None of the owners were happy, hell I'm sure some of them had a hand in the riots.

… Oh, right, the riots. Not sure why, but riots have been popping up all over freeside. Some having to do with our current relations with the NCR, Others over the taxes I had to put on liquor. In most cases, I got the Kings to handle it. They were probably the closest I could get to a police force without mowing the place down with securitrons.

Anyway, I'd lost track of how long I'd been at the desk for. After a while I thought the world had turned black and white. It wasn't until the elevator dinged and I heard the scrape of paws that I snapped back to reality. Rex padded out of the Elevator, into the bedroom, and right up to me. He looked up at me expectantly, panting while his tongue flopped out of his mouth. I reached down and rubbed his brain case.

"How's the paperwork boss?" Rasped a familiar Hispanic voice.

I looked to the door and watched as Raul walked out, wearing his unaltered Petro-Chico coveralls and carrying a box of scrap metal and parts. He probably paid Arcade and Veronica a visit, though I only have a few ideas why.

"Boring as ever." I drawled back

"It can't be that bad." He said, placing the box on top of a trunk that sat at the foot of the master bed.

"Really? So, which is more important? Monitoring the ppm of lead in the New Vegas Water supply or what source we should use for the re-enforcement of the dam?"

"Uhh…"

"Trick question. I'm stuck with both until people stop dragging their feet."

I rubbed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. Raul stood next to his box of scrap, contemplating a response. Ever since the dam got taken, I had been in and out of touch with most of my companions. The only regulars I kept up with were Boone and Raul. I won't bore you with the others right now, but Rex stuck around since… well, he's a good boy. ED-E on the other hand took off once I gave him leave. I figured it was for the best, he had enough Agency and Curiosity about his past to go searching for it. I let Raul take up a room in the presidential suite. Give him a better place to stay than some gas station until he figured out where he was going next.

"… I got nothing boss. Sorry."

"It's fine, I'm just frustrated by all the nonsense. I mean, most of this isn't hard to figure out, I don't get why they've got to move so slow."

"Probably just cautious boss. Don't hold it against'em."

"I know, I know."

I finally had enough of staring at the paperwork and climbed out of the chair. Reaching into the coat I was wearing at the time, I pulled out a bottle of whisky. The saying is 'it's five o'clock somewhere', personally it could be seven in the morning and I could be spiking my coffee if I felt the day was gonna suck that bad. It'd happened about four times this week alone.

"Y'might want to slow down boss" Raul said, still sorting some things out in his box "You know drinking makes you do stupid shit."

"I know, Raul, your concerns have been filed." I did know and they were filed. On a good day, My average intelligence ranged somewhere between genius and omniscient. When I drank? That shit dropped like a lead weight. It wasn't so bad, most times I just had to avoid going overboard. When I didn't I would be lucky if I could remember how gravity works and why objects didn't just float off into space. Thankfully, it took a lot to get there.

"Yet you're doing it anyway."

I extended my left hand and shot him the bird as I took another nip of my whisky.

He chuckled and shot me one back.

The room fell silent as I drank and Raul did… whatever he was doing. I should've asked at the time but I figured I'd give the ghoul his privacy. I reached down and gave Rex another rub on the head, before putting the bottle back and heading to the wardrobe I kept most of my clothes in.

"Goin' somewhere boss?" Raul asked looking up at me

"Yea, gonna take a trip to the dam. Now that I'm up I might as well go see what the fuss is over there."

Raul grunted in agreement. "When you get a chance boss, there's actually something I wanna show you."

"I'll take a look when I get back." I gave him an ever so slightly drunken smirk. It was honest though, most of the time when Raul wanted to show me something, it was cool.

I slipped out of the relaxer wear I was in and donned a set of riot gear from the Divide. I used to where the Ranger Veteran coat, but after an incident involving a group of violent old women and an angry team of NCR troopers, I decided to retire it until things died down. The riot gear was as close as I could get without going with its heavier cousins or wearing the Desert Ranger armor. I've got enough respect for Clark to not use his armor without a good reason.

If I'm speaking honestly, I probably didn't need it. The only reason I was wearing armor at all is because I don't like getting caught with my pants down.

I tightened the helmet to my head and patted Rex on the head one last time. I gave a nod to Raul and walked to the elevator. As I waited for the doors to close, I tried to avoid staring at the person lying in the master bed. I found myself focusing on the cardiograph and IV next to them.

The radio cued in Johnny Guitar as the doors closed… Fuck you, Mr. New Vegas.

…

It took me about six hours to walk from the Lucky 38 to the outer edge of the Dam. It might've taken less, but I was drunk and more looking for an excuse to stretch my legs than actually get there. The place'd changed since the battle. We hadn't bothered repairing the concrete towers that covered the thing. We were too busy keeping our asses out of the fire to fix some pillars whose only function was to act as snipers' nests. The sun had just started to set when I stepped into the Visitor Center. It was the way I normally went in. The place was a goddamn maze when I was sober… well more sober anyway. But I at least knew my way down to the turbines from there. The place was packed with engineers and egg-heads. Honestly I was surprised how many came out of the woodwork once I kicked the NCR out. I mean, I'm not sure how many were originally Jet cooks or some other type of inbred psycho, but they were pretty useful. Except for that idiot 'Fantastic'. He came here and I had to chase him off three times before he got the message.

"Excuse me, mister president?"

I turned and found myself staring at some chrome dome scientist. You know the type: bald, glasses, skinny, and so otherwise non-descript you'd probably forget them if you took your eyes off 'em.

"… I'm he, who you?" I asked

"Oh! Uh…" The egg stuttered "I'm Henry Garrison… We met before?"

"We did?" I asked, absent mindedly scratching my helmet.

"Y-yes sir, about three months ago. When you put me in charge of operations here at the dam."

"I did?" I asked, thinking back. I could remember we threw a party following the initial restoration, then another when we managed to get all of the turbines running. I got _very_ hammered that time, I think I sounded like a cave man half the time. There was also this bald dude- "-Oh yea, yea I remember."

"Good." Henry said with a relived sigh. "So I assume you read my report then?"

"Oh yeah, sure sure." I said, failing to remember any paper work he'd actually sent me.

"Excellent, then if you'd please follow me?"

Without another word he turned and hurried off towards the elevator. Part of me wanted to be rude and blow him off, I'd see the Dam at my own pace. But the guy had bothered to write me, so I might as well see what he had to say and _then_ blow him off. I climbed in with him and we rode the tin can down to the turbine chamber. Stepping out, I could tell things were doing fine. All the turbines sounded like they were going, one of them was making this dull whining but didn't seem any worse for it.

Henry started gesturing to the wall that separated the chamber from the reservoir. "As you can see, the striations of the concrete have begun to crack and the porosity of the material has nearly tripled in visibility."

"Ok…"

"Worse still, moisture has begun to seep through. I'm unsure as to the current structural integrity of this portion of the wall. But, if my calculations are correct, then the rate of deterioration will soon escalate to catastrophic levels."

"Uh huh."

"The technical staff have been trying to patch the porosity and reverse the damage, but nothing seems to be working. I fear if we don't arrive at a solution soon, the dam might be breached and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out."

Henry stopped talking and looked at me strangely.

"So… you saying the wall is falling apart and the dam is going to break?"

Henry's Jaw hit the floor and I could clearly see he wanted to strangle me.

"W-what!? Yes!" he shouted "I sent you a letter with all of my findings and the paperwork so you could approve for us to take better counter measures!"

"O-oh! Yea, right, Countermeasures."

"… You did read my letter, right sir?"

I didn't answer him. I stuck a finger up, asking for a second to check something. I quickly clicked to the data section of my pip-boy. Thankfully this chunk of all knowing metal on my arm had lists of everything it deemed 'important'. Under a heading titled 'Dam Shame' I saw a small note that read "Visit Garrison at the Dam and see what the problem is".

"Yeah I did." I said with renewed vigor. "Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner!"

"I just said I did!" Henry shouted "It was in the letter!"

"… Well it can't be that immediately dangerous. I mean you only just sent the letter to me-"

"Three weeks."

"… come again?"

"I sent that letter to your office three weeks ago."

As if to demonstrate that I need to get my shit in order, at that moment the wall finally failed. The cracking concrete echoed like thunder in the otherwise tight chamber. A crack, probably no more than an inch in width, but several meters long race up the wall. A spray of water traveling at several thousand psi jettisoned from the crack. Some poor schmuck who was standing too close got blasted full force with it. I lost sight of him but he either lost an arm, leg, or was split in half by the spray. It wasn't pretty. An alarm began to blare as everything went tits up.

Henry stared blankly as all hell broke loose. I took one look at the water and realized I was feeling thirsty. I pulled the bottle of whiskey back out of my coat and took a swig. I offered the bottle to Henry and he finished half of it in the blink of an eye.

"…Well Shit."

…

So things went south at the dam pretty fast. It didn't take long for the concrete around the crack to start chipping away. Everyone began scrambling to try and find a solution, they needed to keep the dam from bursting completely.

Me? I left.

Not to be an ass, obviously. Some of the blame fell on me for not taking the dam issue more seriously in the first place. But even when I was drunk I knew most of the egg-heads at the dam could do Jack-all to actually stop the water. That shit cut a man in half. In. Half. So I figured regular cement wasn't going to cut it. Unfortunately, I doubted the Followers had the man power to help me. Most of them had been wiped out by the brotherhood a few months back, long story, so they were out. The Brotherhood of Steel were out because… well they're just assholes. I had only a few options, none of them were pleasant. But I figured I really only had one choice that stood a chance of fixing the dam. I just wish they weren't gecko shit crazy.

I walked out of the visitor center, drew the Transportalponder. One trigger pull later, and I'm in the sterile room I got designated to me in the Big Empty. Most of the electronics greeted me warmly, except the toaster, and I gave them all a quick hi before running up to the lab. When I got there I wasn't really sure what I should have expected. These… 'people', technically brains in jars attached to robots and computer monitors, were all huddled together and talking about something.

"It's madness I tell you!" Dr. 0 shouted "Klein you can't be taking this seriously can you?"

"Silence 0!" Dr. Klein shouted in return "I've had Enough of your prattle! Please continue Dr. Borous."

"As I was saying." Borous spoke "If my experiments between crossbreeding the Deathclaws and Cazadors native to the Mojave prove successful, it's as simple as capturing one of the roboscorpions and implanting its mechanisms into the hybrid."

"You are certain it will work?"

"Oh yes, it should prove most effective against dr. Mo- OH HELLO DR. MOBIUS!"

The robotic shells all turned to face me. Now realizing I was present, they quickly ceased their plotting and cautiously approached me.

"Now what brings you back to us today Mobius?" Klein asked in an overly earnest tone. Trying to make me forget what I'd just heard.

"I'm in _need_ of a most DIABOLICAL device." I say, trying to give off an air of maleficence. "Though it _pains_ me to say, your _feeble_ minds may prove useful in this venture."

"Is that so?" Dr. Dala cooed from her spot next to Klein.

"Yessss. I require a device capable of sealing an incursive blast of water within the order of several thousand MAGNITUDES of PSI!"

If you're wondering why I'm acting like a nut job, there's a reason for it. The Think Tank believes I'm doctor Mobius. He was actually a pretty cool guy who spent most of his time trying to keep these assholes from doing things like, say, unleashing a Deathclaw-Cazador hybrid cyborg into the Mojave. Unfortunately He passed away a few months back from a Mentat overdose. I buried his brain in the wasteland, figured some part of him had a right to be free after being cooped up in this place. I took over as the TT's warden afterwards. I'm mostly looking for an excuse to 'handle' them at this point, but they're smart enough not to try anything without proper planning.

"Hmm. Very well." Klein grunted angrily "If you would give allow us a few hours to convene-"

"I _need_ it NOW Klein! Do _not_ test me, OR I SHALL UNLEASH MY ROBOSCORPION ARMY UPON YOU!"

The Think Tank took a collective step back and exchanged looks, glad to know I still scared them shitless without really trying.

"…V-Very well." Klein continued "Please direct your attention to the Ginormotron on the rear wall, and I shall show what projects are available."

The back wall lit up suddenly with a command prompt. Green text flew by in a blur as program files were opened and displayed on the massive screen. The blurred text came to a halt as the heading 'projects and programs' took prominence. Below it was a massive list of projects the Think Tank had undertaken over the years… there were a lot of them. Thankfully, Klein understood my rambling enough to begin directing us toward some of them.

"Behold!" Klein announced "Project Gelatinous Liquefier and Utility Erecter!"

"This project-" Dala explained "-was designed to break down the bonds of two substance in to a liquid that, once both side were connected would re-solid-"

"NEXT!" I shouted

Dala stopped talking and Klein opened the next viable project.

"Behold! Project Withstander of Applied Lateral Law!"

"This project, when placed before an opposing force, diverts their power off to th-"

" _next!_ "

Klein grunted and moved to another project.

"Behold! Project Tapestrial Application Problematic Extingui-"

"NEXT DAMMIT!"

I could tell Klein was rapidly losing his patience. We went through about another dozen projects and programs like this. By that point his brain jar was practically boiling with anger.

"Behold Project-"

"NEXT!"

"Will you stop that!" Klein snapped

I shot him a glare and he immediately regretted his decision.

"I want a project that can _repair_ some DAMAGE to a _wall_. IS THAT SO HARD?"

"Well…" Dala cooed softly "There was project Priority Alternative Treatment and Concrete Hardener"

Both me and Klein stared at the robot that was once a woman in confusion.

"… Ah, yes, now I remember!" Klein said at last.

The screen blurred quickly as Klein loaded the project. A large amount of indecipherable information flooded the screen.

"This Project-" Dala spoke "- was made early in Big Mountain's creation. Following a sabotage attempt on Hoover dam, a high speed concrete and plastic compound was developed to rapidly seal the damage before the dam could collapse."

I wanted to simultaneously reach out and kiss Dala while slapping Klein. Though I got the feeling Dala would get _way_ too much enjoyment from that.

"PERFECT!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "I _will_ need it, POST HASTE."

"Very well." Klein growled.

The file closed and the project list remained on screen. Klein was either preparing the instructions for transfer or was working to tell me where I could find it. This gave me a chance to skim over some of the Stuff the TT had done since I hadn't shown up. Most of them looked pretty stupid. Project STUMP. Project PIE. Project PROJECT. Project TPPT… ok, that one got my attention.

" _What_ is project TPPT?" I asked, still trying to seem crazy

A series of ear piercing noises was given off by dr. 8. I normally could piece out what he said with his broken voice box, but this time it just gave me a headache.

"Indeed." Dr.0 said "It is our greatest shame."

" _OH?_ What did _you_ break THIS TIME O?"

"He broke nothing." Dala spoke up. "Truly it is a failure for us as a whole."

"Indeed." Borous spoke now "TPPT was the project that could have turned the tide of the war, perhaps all of history."

8 made another series of ear bleeding noises.

"Hey! I had just as much part to play as you. Human testing was my department."

"SILENCE!" I shouted

Everyone clammed up again.

"WHAT. WAS. TPPT?"

"… It was the Final stage of the TelePortalPonder's development." Dala cooed "The final leap needed to perfect the device."

"The ability to leap through time." Klein finally spoke up

Silence settled over the room, save for the beeping of computers and the machines that kept the TT in a pseudo state of life. I broke it with a fit of bewildered laughter. I knew these idiots were crazy, but come on. Time Travel? Really? Next they'll tell me they built a giant robot to fight the war too.

"Why do you laugh Mobius?" Klein asked

"Because… *snrk* YOU expect me to _believe YOU_ could create a way to travel through TIME?"

"Not could." Dr. Dala cooed softly once more. "Did."

I stopped laughing immediately.

These jackasses were serious. I know I've been calling them crazy idiots for the past few minutes… but you've got to understand. When these people wanted to do something, they did it. Laws of physics be damned, they would do it. If they say they did it, they did. Which made suddenly made project TPPT much more dangerous. But I couldn't let them figure that out, I needed to keep probing.

"Then _why_ pray TELL, did you TERMINATE it?"

8 made another ear splitting noise.

"Yes" Klein agreed "An inexplicable miscalculation in design and impossible, try as we might, to redeem."

"Which _is_?" I asked expectantly

"The device would not work…" dr. 0 began "… when it was covered in pudding."

The TT collectively looked to the floor in shame. "Truly a horrendous loss for science." Klein groaned

… It was at that moment I felt my brain Hemorrhage at the sheer stupidity produced by the five geniuses in front of me.

…

I stared through the set of night vision Binoculars at my target. The built in range finder tracked them almost instantly as I focused. The three legionaries were huddled around a campfire, sharpening their weapons and eating what looked to be cooked mantis.

"About 2 and a half miles out." I said from my rocky overlook

"Wind speed?" Boone asked from his prone position next to mine.

"Approximately 8.5 miles an hour, give or take."

"Which?"

"Which what?"

"Give or take, which?"

"… I'd say give."

The anti-material rifle Boone had planted into his shoulder cracked like thunder three times. I watched through my binoculars as the legionaries stirred slightly. Right before their heads exploded in a shower of red mist and meat.

"Bullseye." I say, lowering the binoculars

Boone released the Rifle and picked himself up from the dirt. He dusted off his baggy survival armor and fixed the beret on his head. I hoped down from my rock, flicked the light attached to the side of my helmet on, and we began to carefully descend the hill we'd been using as our over look.

"There're less and less of 'em each week." I note "You guys are doing good work when I'm not around."

"Hey, we can't wait on your slow ass, otherwise we'd never get rid of them."

Me and Boone met up every week or so. He'd joined up with his old unit at camp McCarran and stuck around when I allowed McCarran to stay active. He never got time off, so I'd join him when he was sent on patrol. It was kinda like a hunting trip. I'd play spotter and we'd go after whatever was causing trouble at the time. We were still hunting the remaining legionaries, as we just demonstrated, but we would also go after whatever else was causing a problem. We'd just about taken care of the fiends, nobody had seen the Khans since I'd told them to leave, and Arcade was smart enough to get his Enclave buddies to lay low after the battle. Really the only other thing we'd hunt besides the legion at this point were whatever pesky animal was causing trouble at the time. I think it was a week or two prior to this we'd hunted a lounge of Deathclaws… is that right? lounge? It really doesn't seem appropriate… screw it, a Fuck-ton of Deathclaws.

It was a bit of a walk from the look-out to the camp we'd been spying, which was good. It gave us a chance to digest the idea of time travel.

"You really think those idiots could've actually done it?" Boone asked, checking the ammo of his old hunting rifle. It was looking considerably better since his return to his unit. Almost like he bothered to maintain it now.

"Honestly? I'm scared to believe it." I say "But if they say they did it, I have little reason to disbelieve it."

"Seriously? Come on, I know they're geniuses but I find that hard to believe."

"Suit yourself-" I shrugged "- If it's real, then it doesn't matter what either of us believes."

"What does it change if it is?" He asked, growing a bit antsy at the prospect. "Let's say it's real. What then?"

"Then…" I pause, collecting my thoughts. "… maybe I use it?"

Boone stared at me for a moment. "Have you been drinking?"

"Pshh, what? Why would I be drinking?" I very carefully nudged the now empty whisky bottle deeper into my coat.

"You get dumb ideas when you drink." Boone said flatly

"… name one."

"The Vault 21 incident-"

"We don't talk about that!" I snapped

"Apparently neither does Sarah, after what you did to that Jukebox."

"… fuck you Boone."

Boone just chuckled.

"Seriously though, if it is real then imagine what we could do." I said, trying to push back the embarrassing memory that was creeping forward. "We could assassinate Caesar before he ever met the followers, we could stop house from putting himself on ice, hell we could even prevent the bombs from falling if we played our cards right."

"Or you could go back and save Cass." Boone said matter of factly.

I stopped walking and just stared at him. He soon joined me.

"That's what this is about, isn't it?" He asked

"… She isn't dead." I said, my fist unconsciously clenching

"Well she sure isn't walking around either." Boone countered "How long has she been like that now?"

I stayed silent, I didn't want to answer him.

"Six, you know I understand. I know losing someone isn't easy."

No arguments there.

"But seriously? Time travel from _those_ ass hats?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"… alright, assume it's true, assume you can actually time travel back to the past."

"Already am."

"So, you save Cass. Now the NCR knows that time travel is possible. Assume they find a way to get access to it."

"… I don't like where this is going."

"You shouldn't, 'cause it would mean they could go back and finish the job Benny started at any time, however they wanted."

I let that sink in. I'd been considering the possible things that could go wrong. I'm not sure why I hadn't considered that one of them.

Boone sighed and rubbed his eyes. "… I get why you're considering it. Not a day goes by where I don't think about Carla, about what it could've been like if…" He trailed off. I knew it still wasn't an easy thing for him to talk about. "… But I don't think you can change the past." Boone reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. "Do yourself a favor, forget you saw the whole thing. Chasing something like that is only going to open a box of trouble."

I looked him in the eye through the visor of my helmet. I knew where he stood on the idea. I valued his input greatly. I shook my head in understanding.

"Now come on, we gotta make sure there aren't any more dogs sniffing around the camp. Don't want to miss them."

He released my shoulder and continued off towards the camp. I waited a moment and followed him. That's one down, four opinions left to get.

…

I really shouldn't have expected Lily to provide any valuable input. Her therapy for her schizophrenia has been improving her condition tremendously. Unfortunately, she's not quite coherent enough to actually give me an answer I can understand. Half the time she's yelling at Leo and the other half she's trying to tend to her chores and keep some sense of normalcy. If she was more stable I'd probably ask her again, but I think it's best I let her mend.

Arcade and Veronica were divided. Veronica was of the mindset the brotherhood had taught her, it was a bad idea messing with something as dangerous as time travel. Arcade thought it was something that merited experimenting, you can't judge something until you've actually tested it. I couldn't get much better than that from them. They were in the middle of packing to travel. The followers branch was in the process of mending itself after the brotherhood attacked them when Veronica defected. Arcade and Veronica were going to California to recruit member to help rebuild. I wished them both the best of luck with the Border patrol.

That only left one important opinion left to collect. I walked into the Lucky 38 and headed to the elevator. Back when I first arrived, when House was in charge, there'd been a basement level that was off limits. I'd helped Raul turn the place into a workshop. Not sure what he did in there half of the time, but that wasn't my concern. What he did in his free time was between him and the walls.

The place was lined wall to wall with work tables, benches, tool cabinets, gas canisters, scrap, and just about every other odd and end you could find. There was also some large object stashed under a makeshift tarp. I found him hunched over a drawing table, looking over some schematics. He apparently hadn't been expecting me, because he almost leapt out of his rotting skin when he saw me.

"Dios Maltido Mio! Don't sneak up on me boss! It's not good for my heart."

"Whoops, sorry." I took my helmet and gas mask off. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine, it's fine." He said, rubbing his chest. "I heard about what happened at the dam, everything good boss?"

"Yea, got something from the Think Tank and sealed it up like nothing was wrong."

"Good, was worried for a bit there."

"Yeah, same, but I got a question for you."

"What about?"

"Well… it's more of a hypothetical thing."

"again, what about?"

"… Let's say you had the power to change the past, but doing so would have grave consequences. Would you-"

"Yes." Raul answered, returning to his work. "If I could turn back time and save Rafaela, my family, Claudia, even half the people I wish I could have; I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"… well that was easy… and ultimately leaves me where I started."

"Boss if you're actually saying you can do what you're proposing, which wouldn't surprise me by this point, I think the only person who should have final say is you. I know what I'd do. Doesn't mean it's right, just how it is."

Raul returned to sketching on his plans and I went back where I came from. This time I rode the elevator back to the presidential suite. The door opened and Rex was there waiting for me, lying just outside the door. He rose as I walked out and I scratched his back as I walked back into the master bedroom. The Cardiograph was still ticking fine. No changes since I'd last been here. Cass was still lying in the bed. Breathing mask hooped to her face, red hair a scattered mess, and looking like she'd wake up at any second but never actually doing it.

I pulled my chair from the desk and sat next to the bed. I knew better than to sit there expecting things to change. But there wasn't anything else I could do at that moment. Just wait, hoping she would open her eyes, look at me, and ask where the whisky was. Like she'd get up and be perfectly fine. She looked so thin now…

It'd been months since it'd happened. All I could do was hope.

Rex laid down next to my chair and stayed there with me. I probably sat there for hours, but I honestly couldn't tell. The Lucky 38 didn't have any windows in this suite. Or much of the building for that matter, it made telling time hard without looking at a clock. Once I finally decided not to sit there anymore, my first destination was the top floor, the cocktail lounge House had decided to build even though he was a computer and couldn't actually enjoy it.

I plopped down on a couch and one of the securitrons I'd jury rigged into a butler approached me. I made a motion with my right hand and it dispensed a rocks glass with a large puck of ice in it. It placed the cup on the table and stomped back to the bar, returning with a jug of some homebrewed stuff Cass had made months ago. Called it 'MutFruit brandy', I think.

I poured three fingers of the stuff into my glass and set the jug down next to it. The robot wandered off and I sat staring out the window, sipping my hooch as I watched the city slowly rotate beneath me. Being left to my thoughts and a jug of liquor rarely ended well, especially when I pulled out _that_ photo. About two hours and six glasses later, I watched the sun rise as I finally made my choice.

"Fuck it. When am I ever known for making smart choices?"

…

I didn't head straight for the Big Empty. I needed to make sure I was ready for any stupid shit that could happen. I may not make smart choices, but that doesn't mean I go unprepared. On average, I could probably put most circus strongmen to shame with how much I could carry on my back. When I got drunk I could make Hercules feel inadequate. So there wasn't much stopping me from emptying every container I had into my pockets.

Except I didn't need everything, as far as I knew, so packing a day bag of some sort was my safe bet. Wasn't sure what limits to set so I hit as many of the basics I could think of. I went back down to the main bedroom and ransacked my belongings. First up were the weapons. Shotguns, rifles, pistols, couple of close quarters things, and a few heavy/energy weapons for measure. I also grabbed Two sets of armor in addition to the riot armor I was already covered in, and a set of park-stroller clothes. Better to over pack than under. I was already carrying all of my ammo and meds so that was fine. There was only one other thing I could think of taking with me. Despite my legs already feeling ready to cave, I threw it on the pile as well. Never knew when I might need an ace. At this point I was going to need to keep myself sloshed if I wanted to avoid feeling my knees grinding together, but I still had a few pounds to spare.

I scribbled a note down for Raul. Figured I shouldn't be gone more than a day. But if he got worried he could get Boone and search the Big Empty, I'd make sure the guards wouldn't bother them. Rex gave me a pitiful whine as I rubbed his brain case one last time. I looked at Cass as she laid in the bed, I could hear Johnny Guitar beginning to play from my Pipboy and immediately turned it off. No point in getting weepy right now. I lowered myself and placed my forehead against Cass's. I could feel a knot tightening in my chest.

"I promise I'll see you again. " I whispered "Just save a drink for me alright?"

I pulled myself together, slid my helmet back on and readied the Transportalponder. I took the elevator down, walked outside, and vanished into a blue light.

…

The Think Tank sat in stunned silence. The information I'd just given to theme had rocked them all to their very cores.

"The final phase of the TPPT… has been complete this entire time." Klein said, trying to let the words sink in

"INDEED!" I sneered "In what _circumstance_ would the Transportalponder EVER be covered in PUDDING?"

The Think Tank remained silent. Perhaps, for the first time in history, realizing how stupid they had been.

"Then I must test it at once!" Dr. 0 shouted "Let me-"

"Silence, MORON!" I hissed at the 'doctor', knowing full well his penchant for breaking machines. "You will touch _nothing_ or else I will lobotomize you WITH A PENCIL!"

The doctor carefully slunk a short distance back. Not wishing to have a piece of lumber jammed into his gray matter.

"But we must test it." Klein agreed "I recommend a trial run."

" _Hmph_. For once I agree with you KLEIN."

"Oh?" Klein asked in surprise.

" _In_ fact, if Dr. DALA _would_ be so kind as to ACCOMPANY me, _I'm willing to_ TAKE the maiden voyage."

I could swear Dala come as close to squealing in delight as a sentient brain in a jar could.

"This is most exciting." Dala cooed

I wasn't taking her along out of the goodness of my heart. I knew these idiots would probably try and use the TPPT to try and kill me somehow. Doing this, I at least made it seem like I was more interested in the science and gave them a reason not to try anything stupid.

"I assume you have a destination in mind?" Borous asked

" _indeed_. Allow me to show you." I held up my Pipboy for the Think Tank to see. I had plotted a location on the map, along with a time I wanted to arrive.

"Such a short jump for a monumental feat." Klein grumbled "With this device we could easily journey back to the birth of humanity and-"

"SILENCE!" I hissed, Klein complied.

"Very well." Dala cooed "We shall make the preparations, if you will allow us?"

"… _proceed._ "

It was the first time I actually got to see the Think Tank actually perform 'science!'. They moved with an almost unnatural fervor, especially given their very mechanical bodies. They'd taken the Transportalponder and begun tinkering with it. I watched them intently, even if I couldn't tell whether or not any of the changes they were making were immediately dangerous, I could at least make sure they didn't try slipping an explosive or something else into it.

"Dr. Mobius?" Dala asked, approaching me

"YES?"

"I just wished to confirm something. The location we are going to… it's outside of Big Mountain?"

" _Indeed_. I wished to TEST how ACCURATE the device _is_."

"Then… do you believe-" Dala's voice got a small hitch in it, sounding more sultry and less professional "There will be time for… experimentation?"

… I suddenly felt very uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

"… WITHOUT a _doubt_..." I managed to choke out.

Dr. Dala made a small squealing noise I could only describe as ecstatic. "I'll get my toolkit."

She turned and wheeled away. Even in my _very_ drunk state I could tell letting her 'experiment' was perhaps the worst mistake I could make. As soon as we were in the past I was going to shoot her. For the safety and love of all things that aren't bright enough to do it, I will shoot her.

Dala was gone less than a minute. But by the time she'd returned they'd finished their work with the Transportalponder. I held the device at arm's length, kinda like they just handed me a grenade without the pin.

"All you must do-" Klein spoke "Is pull the trigger. I have no doubt you will inform us upon your success."

"CORRECT!" I announced, trilling the r.

Dala latched an appendage to my shoulder. With an uncertain breath I pulled the trigger. The little gun began to hum loudly and glow.

"… wait-" Dr. 0 spoke slowly. "-did we account for Multiverse theory?"

"WHA-" That was far as I got. Dala and I were dragged into a blue light.

…

I'm not sure what I was expecting time to look like. For some reason, a long winding blue tunnel wasn't it. But here me and Dala were, binging around inside of it like a pair of stuck pinballs. Her grip was good though, she didn't let go for an instant regardless of how hard we shook. I had no clue how long we were supposed to be inside of the tube, but we just continued to sail through the continuum, slowly learning to balance against the flow.

For a moment I heard Dala giggling with glee.

Then I slammed face first into a blue wooden box. Despite Dala's death grip, her claw was wrenched free of my shoulder and she continued onward while the blue box dragged me back in the opposite direction. The thing treated me like a bumper as it careened against the continuum.

"… I say Rose." I heard a muffled voice through the wood. "I think we just hit a cowboy."

A door on an opposing face of the box opened. A pale, lanky looking man with combed chestnut hair and a pair of glasses poked his head out of the box he looked around before noticing me plastered to the box.

"Oh! 'Ello there." He said with a smile

I went to wave and was immediately wrenched free from the box, flying back in the direction I had originally been heading. Only now I was smashing even more violently against the walls of the tunnel. They stretched like fabric, each hit dragging it further and further out. Until finally it couldn't take another hit and tore itself to shred on impact. I was ripped from the tunnel and fell. The space I was in was one of darkness, yet there was light. There were unending jagged spikes conjoined by smooth plains. Everything refracted light and yet returned nothing. It was infinite, and yet I felt as though it could collapse inward at a moment's notice. Everything hurt, and yet nothing did. I wanted to scream, but I had no mouth. There were flames that stole warm and rains that dissolved flesh. I felt my insides turn outward and my bones turn to gelatin.

I was in hell.

…

My eyes snapped open to see a starry sky above me. I didn't give myself a chance to register it, I was too busy rolling over and struggling to get my gas mask off before emptying my stomach onto the ground.

One thing was for sure, I wasn't drunk anymore. Even if I had been I was getting rid of the source pretty quickly. My body was aching like crazy and my head felt like I just finished smacking it against concrete for five hours. The last of the bile passed my lips and I spat just to make sure it was gone. I took several deep breaths before putting the mask back on and settling on a knee. I felt off kilter, like the world had gotten just a bit bigger or I'd grown just a smidge smaller. The ground around me was gravel. Looking around me, I came to realize I was on a rooftop. From the looks of it I was in some part of Freeside. Not sure where though. Everything here looked too put together.

I took a few deep breaths and settled my nerves. My mind was already trying to bury the crap I'd just seen for future nightmares. I looked around, one thing was certain: I wasn't in the Big Empty anymore. Did that mean it worked? Did I make it to the past? If I did then the possibility that I over shot my target was looking more and more likely. The little I could see of the surrounding buildings looked too… not destroyed. What about Dala? She'd gone way further ahead of me. Was it all a dream? The sun had just risen when I'd gone to the Big Empty.

I looked up to the stars. The sky was the clearest I'd ever seen. I could make out a couple constellations. If I was just dreaming everything then How would I be sur-

"What the fuck!?" I shouted flopping back onto roof. I stared up at the sky. The stars were in order, but what I was staring at was not. The last time I checked the moon wasn't shattered like a piece of glass. I just stared at it for a moment, trying to piece just what the hell was going on together in my bullet riddled skull. "… Yup, definitely dreaming."

I pulled a small switchblade out of my pocket and clicked the blade out. "Gonna wake up now." I jammed the small into my outer thigh. It sank about a quarter of the way in before I stopped. Yep, that definitely hurt, That was definitely blood, and I definitely wasn't dreaming. It was then that I noticed the Transportalponder lying on the ground close by

"Ok, not dreaming." I said, folding the switchblade up and trying not to lose my shit. I grabbed the TPPT and looked at it "-not dreaming! No clue what's going on! Just fan-fucking-tastic."

The all too familiar sound of gun fire finally made its way to my ear. It was then that I finally noticed that there was actually a fair bit of noise _other_ than gun fire. And it was coming from the ground not too far from me. Instinctively, I slid the switchblade into one sleeve and the TPPT into the other. I rose from the ground and cautiously approached the edge of the roof I heard the sound coming from. Before I could reach it, the noise stopped and a gloved hand reached over the edge. It was attached to a sharp dressed man. He looked to be about my height, which was surprising since I'm a bit on the tall side. He had a mop of orange hair, a white suit, weird looking cane, and… was that a bowler hat? Who the fuck wears a bowler hat?"

He climbed onto the roof and ran forward a bit before noticing I was standing there. He'd been too busy looking back to notice I was there. He looked surprised, intimidated even. Good to know even when I don't mean it I can scare the shit out of people.

"… Um, hi" I gave a small wave.

The guy looked at me like I was an idiot. Then he smirked and ran at me. From the looks of it he wasn't planning to fight me, so I stepped out of his way. He ran right past me, not sure where he was planning to go since the roof was a dead end and he didn't look the jumping type.

Then I heard the sound of a rifle and saw a red and black blur launch onto the roof where he'd just come from. The Blur landed and, I swear to Mr. House, there was this tiny girl standing there, dressed in some gothic dress-skirt thing and holding a scythe I'd expect someone like Lanius to use.

"Hey- Gah!" She shouted as she noticed me too. Great, I even scare children.

"… Hello." I say, giving her a small wave as well.

"Persistent." I hear the guy behind me grumble.

I hear a high pitched whine come from behind me and can make out the sound of footsteps as the guy suddenly rushes me from behind. He slips his cane past my armor and presses it against my neck. My guess was this Jackass was now trying to appear threatening. All he did was make my shit-list real quick.

A blast of air hit us as something rose up behind me. That whining had escalated into a roar as something hovered in the sky behind me.

"It's been swell red." The man spoke, his breath stank like a cheap cigar. "This's where we've got to part though."

He started stepping back towards the thing I couldn't see… yeah, screw this.

I snapped my head back and hit him in the nose. I didn't hear him scream, or feel his nose break, but he still let go out of surprise. I broke free and turned on him, sliding the switch blade out of my sleeve, I extended the blade and jammed it into his chest in one fluid motion before kicking him backwards. I back pedaled until I was standing just in front of the girl with the scythe.

… Normally when I did that to someone they'd be spitting blood and coughing. This guy just stumbled a bit before finding his balance. He glared at me and bared his teeth. I checked the switch blade I was holding and saw the thing was snapped in half.

I'd had my eyes off the guy for a second and when I turned back He'd leapt onto the thing I'd been hearing. So I guess my assessment about him not being a jumper was wrong, but that wasn't important. The thing he'd landed on looked like the bastard child of Vertibird and a speed boat. In place of propellers it had what sounded like turbines keeping it in the air.

"End of the line!" He shouted over the whine of the engines. He produced something from a pocket and tossed it. I assumed it was a grenade and instantly shot into VATS to blow it up in his face. But then I remembered I didn't have a gun equipped. It wasn't a grenade either, it was a large red crystal. The heck was this guy chucking gemstones around for?

It landed on the ground in front of us with a soft *clink*. Before I could react the girl put a hand on my chest and pushed me back. "Look out!"

The guy pointed his cane and a laser shot from the end of it. The laser hit the stone and an explosion erupted in front of me.

But the flames never got to me.

In front of me now stood two object that hadn't been there a second ago. One being a GIANT PURPLE MANDALA floating in the air. The other being a woman dressed up in an outfit I'd seen once or twice around Gomorrah. I think she was supposed to be a teacher? But she had this weird purple cape and was pretty fine if I do say so. She was also wearing glasses and holding a riding crop… maybe Gomorrah was nearby after all?

The Mandala faded and the girl next to me made a small gasp and suddenly got this bright smile on her face.

The woman huffed and flicked her riding crop. Dozens of purple bolts suddenly appeared out of thin air, racing gracefully through the air and slamming into the Vertibird and exploding in a shower of light. Each hit rocked the vehicle like it'd been hit by a rocket. Mr. Bowler-hat stumbled around in the open bay door for a second before running into the cockpit. Someone else walked back as the vehicle began to pull away. The woman glowed and unleashed another bolt, this one flew into the sky above the Vertibird and instantly planted storm clouds above it.

"What the hell?" I mumbled to myself, watching in a combination of awe and fear as a torrent of glowing Icy spikes pelted the Vertibird. Several of them even pierced the hull and engines.

I could just barely make out the person who was standing in the bay door now. They looked like a woman, but I couldn't really be sure. I could only see a set of really slender legs. Could've been a guy for all I know. They were definitely wearing an all too revealing cocktail dress for somebody who's riding in a Vertibird, that's for sure.

Then they shot a fucking fireball out of their hand. Teacher-lady put up another one of those purple shields but I watched the splash damage liquefy some of the loose gravel on the roof. Then there was a screaming noise as a flaming circle appeared and the ground exploded beneath the teacher. She'd jumped back mere moments before it could get her. I watched the debris get coated in a violet light and pull together, forming a long, crude, spike. The Spike whizzed through the air and the person at the bay door launched a small series of fireballs at the spike. It crumbled before reforming into a single mass and ramming against the vehicle. The pilot just barely turned to deflect it.

The mass split, forming three small wisps that began to circle the craft. Looking for a place to strike. In a moment of blinding heat and light they were vaporized. I watched the ashes scatter as the craft began to peel away from its aggressor.

I heard a mechanical whirring and the compressing of pistons sound beside me. The massive scythe that Girl had been carrying? It was now an equally ridiculous look rifle. It was loud, had a muzzle flash that would make Boone jealous, and looked like it weighed a ton.

Yet she held it like it weighed nothing.

I could see the bullets colliding with something on the ship, what, I do not know. But from the look of it the person who was lighting shit on fire was now playing catch with what sounded like 12.7mm rounds (or 50. Cal. If you're into that).

Another shrieking noise sounded beneath us, this time there were five of the circles in a group.

"Fucking hell!" I shouted, grabbing the girl by this ridiculous red hood she was wearing. I yanked her forward as the ground exploded behind us. The teacher did a front flip and landed beside us.

The Vertibird took its chance. The door slid shut, the engines rotated and it took off quickly into the night. Leaving us on a partially destroyed roof.

'… ok, fuck this.' I thought to myself. 'Don't care where I am, this place can go fuck itself. I am not dealing with magical bullshit. NO. Not today.'

I carefully slid the TPPT out of my sleeve and pulled the trigger. I heard a small whine and saw the blue light in my peripheral vision… then the light faded and nothing happened. I waited a second and pulled the trigger again. This time I was met with an unpleasant beep. I stealthily raised the TPPT so that I could see it. The red tube that covered the top of the device flashed red and, much to my surprise, a message scrolled across it.

"Err. No destination found. No targeting satellites found. Please Consult Dr.0."

'That's not good.' I thought, slowly failing to push the panic down. 'That's definitely not good.'

The girl in red turned towards me, then I realized she was looking past me and at the teacher/witch/possible-stripper.

"You're a huntress…" She said in awe with this massive, luminescent smile on her face "… Can I have your autograph?"

* * *

 **I'm planning to treat this chapter as a sort of Pilot. All feed back and thoughts are appreciated. If you'd like to see it continued all you have to do is say so.**

 **-Ash**


	2. Light in the Beacon

In case you're wondering, she never got that autograph, as far as I'm aware anyway. The woman did some voodoo or whatever on us and dragged us off the roof. Quite an impressive feat considering with everything I was carrying I was probably pushing four or five hundred pounds. She dropped us on the street and crammed me and the girl into what I assume was a police car. I couldn't say for sure, if it _was_ a car it looked very different from any of the rusted scrap I'd seen in the wasteland.

If it was, then that would make it my first time actually riding in a car. As far as experiences go, it could have been worse. At least the driver wasn't pointing a gun at me or threatening to gut me. We were driven a short distance to another building. If this was a police car, then that'd probably make this a police station. Wish I could say for sure but, as if I needed something else to show me I wasn't in Nevada anymore, there wasn't a lick of English to be found. The closest I could get were these blocks that _looked_ like letters, but that made even less sense. These people obviously spoke English, why the hell did they write like this?

Maybe the Chinese were still around here?... Questions for another time.

The stripper-witch walked us in and separated us. The cops present took one look at the armory I was walking around with and practically stripped me down to my underpants. Guess bringing the park clothes wasn't a bad idea, this place was a bit drafty. The only things I didn't let them take were my helmet and mask. I made the mistake of not protect my head only once. Not again, not in unknown territory.

Also, remember when I said the world seemed a bit bigger before? It wasn't. Whatever happened in the rift changed me. Most of the scars and muscle I'd gotten over the past couple of months dealing with the shenanigans surrounding the dam and Vegas were gone along with a couple inches of height. I was getting a sinking feeling in my gut that I wasn't getting the booze I was carrying back any time soon.

The cops took my finger prints and dropped me in another room. I recognized the classic one way mirror of an interrogation chamber immediately. If this was going to go anything like my chat with Silus, then some idiot was probably about to kick the door in and 'accidently' beat whatever information they wanted out of me. Just my luck.

I sat there for about twenty or thirty minutes, absent mindedly checking my pip boy and twiddling my thumbs. Surprisingly, the hunk of metal on my arm already had a new community added: Vale. Not sure if that's the name of this city, but if the bracelet says yes then it's what I got. It also blurred out every other settlement, radio frequency, and active chore or 'quest' as the metal block called them. The map was still the same, but that made sense since I learned a few weeks ago it was just an over magnified piece of microfilm. As far as the map knew I was still in the Big Empty.

There was a cold clicking noise as the door leading out of the room swung open. In the doorway was the stripper-witch, holding some odd looking piece of glasses and metal. Her high heels clicked against the tile floor as she walked in. I got a good look of her. Vibrant green eyes, platinum blonde hair, fair skin, and an air that would probably send shivers down even Graham's spine… maybe, just possibly. I could write poetry about her figure, but I get the feeling it would be wholly inappropriate at this moment. Another time then.

She ran a finger across the pane of glass she was carrying and I could see a number of symbols and objects project onto it from somewhere. Never seen something like that before. Yet another surprise of the not-wasteland… wouldn't that just be land then?

She stood across from me in silence, doing nothing but tapping away on her piece of glass. I found it just a little uncomfortable. Part of me thought now would be an excellent time to strike up a conversation. Be civil, start with a nice simple topic.

"So-"

*You are suffering from whisky withdrawal.*

"-Do you always hang around police stations? That seems bad for business."

I promptly slap my hand over my mouth, or rather the ventilators of my mask, and pray that she speaks some alien language. Something that preferably has no overlap with the English language. The glare she gives makes it perfectly clear she understood every word I said in both literal and spiritual senses.

Great, I just called the woman who could take down a Vertibird a prostitute to her face. If there is a god in this world, may he have more mercy on me than whatever one was in the Mojave.

"My, that isn't a very nice thing to say." Another voice said from the doorway.

In walks someone completely new. He looked to be a man in his late thirties. He had shaggy silver hair and brown eyes hidden behind a pair of spectacles that almost looked too small for his eyes. He was dressed in a black suit with a green turtle neck and a small metal cross around his neck. He also had an odd looking cane, it looked like it had a bunch of gears and a guard of some kind. He seems reasonable though, maybe I can-

"So you're her pimp?"

I promptly smash my own head against the table. The fuck is wrong with me!? … Oh, right, withdrawal.

"… neither is that." He says. Seating himself in the chair across from me.

"I'm sorry." I try to convey my honesty while keeping my head to the table. "I say really stupid shit when I get hung over."

Also when I'm drunk, high, in pain, or in an otherwise unstable mindset. But no reason to tell him that.

"Well then… perhaps this will help."

There was a soft clinking of glass beside my head. I lifted my head and saw the small cup of black coffee the man had placed beside me. Even through the mask it smelled fresh brewed and warm.

"I'm afraid it's not very strong." The man continued with a mischievous smile "But this was what the officers had ready."

Under normal circumstances, I would throw the coffee in his face and attack him with the cup. As a general rule of thumb you don't accept free drinks in the wasteland. But this wasn't the wasteland, and while I had no clue who these people were I had a pretty good radar for if 'this person is going to kill/rape/eat/steal from me'. While the lady was red in the face and clearly wanted to retaliate for the prostitute comments, neither of them was trying to be threatening.

I sat up and gingerly lifted the gas mask just above my mouth. Taking care not to give either of them a good look of my face. I didn't have a reason to run or fight, but if I did it would be better if neither of them could identify me. I took a sip of the black liquid and felt like I just got a whiff of turbo. This stuff was weak? This was probably the best cup of coffee I'd ever had. What the hell?

I took a long swig and set the cup down, sliding my mask back into place with it.

*you are no longer suffering from whisky withdrawal*

"Thank you." I say nodding to the man.

He returns the nod. "You're welcome. I'm Professor Ozpin."

"Professor?" I gave a small chuckle "Funny name, I'm Courier Six."

Now it was his turn to chuckle, "Perhaps the hang over wasn't the issue."

"Hey, someone needs to play the joker."

"I believe it's 'play the fool'"

"Eh, I'm good with either."

I relaxed a smidge. It was slowly becoming apparent they weren't going to attack me yet. At least Ozpin wasn't, didn't know about ms. Teacher.

"So then, Cour-"

Ozpin stopped when he noticed my right hand snap into a fist. I struggled to keep myself in check

"… I take it you prefer to be called different?"

"Six." I strain. "Please just call me Six."

"Very well, Mr. Six."

I relax, my fist unclenching and I no longer feel the need to punch the man who gave me coffee.

"Would you mind telling me why you were on that roof tonight?"

"Sight-seeing."

Ozpin fixed me with a stare "… Is that so?"

"Yeah, see, I'm not from around here. I was trying to find my way home and got kind of lost. I thought a better view of the city would help me."

Technically I was telling the truth. Technically I wasn't from _anywhere_ around here. Technically I want to go home. Technically a better view would help me get home if I actually knew this world. Remember kids, technicalities are important, they make half-truths whole.

"You thought that standing on a roof with…" Ozpin paused and pulled a small slip of paper from the inside of his suit jacket. "sixteen distinct firearms, three bladed weapons, two blunt weapons, fourteen explosive devices, three sets of different armor, an entire pharmacy's worth of alcohol and narcotics, several hundred rounds of ammunition in varying form, and enough garbage to fill a dumpster would help you find your way home.

Three bladed weapons? Guess they weren't counting the switch blade. I wouldn't either at this point, that thing's busted.

"Yeah~, see, I'm _very_ lost."

"I would imagine so." Ozpin returned the paper to his suit and motioned for ms. Teacher to join us. She handed him the pane of glass and he dragged his finger across it until a panel of text appeared. "It seems that you have no finger prints on file."

"I told you, I'm not from around here."

"Yes, but that wouldn't explain why your finger prints couldn't be found in a _global_ database."

If I wasn't wearing the helmet and mask he probably would have noticed I have a couple of poker tells. It's the reason I don't play often. I really wasn't expecting this place to have its shit together _that_ well. I was gonna have to play this off.

"Yeah, my parents were a couple of loners."

"Loners?" Ozpin asked, amused

"Yeah, they were the sort of crazy people who'd barricade themselves somewhere in the mountains. Far, far away from civilization. They really didn't like authority."

"Oh, well that must have been an interesting upbringing."

"Yes sir, spent most of my days reading, climbing trees, and raging against the machine."

Ozpin chuckled lightly, "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

At this moment, I saw a chance to get me booze back. I may not have been as burly as I was a few hours ago, but I could just play it off as being underdeveloped or something. I probably couldn't pass for my actual age, I'll have to shoot low then. Just need to take this nice and easy.

"I'm twenty one ** _sir_** "

I coughed suddenly and Ozpin let out another chuckle. I knew what that was. I hadn't experienced one of those in years. My voice hadn't cracked like that since I was seventeen. Wonderful, I wasn't just smaller, I actually was a kid again. GOD FUCKING DAMMIT. Goodbye alcohol, you sweet fiery mistress.

"From the sound of your voice." Ozpin said with a sly smile "I'd say you were just barely seventeen."

"Yeah, well, it makes it easier to go places when they think you're older."

"I have no doubt of that."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to collect my stuff and get going. I've got a long walk home."

"Of course. I just need you to answer one more question for me."

Ozpin flicked his finger across the pane of glass several times. I saw images and text pass, not sure what they were but I suppose they weren't my immediate concern. Ozpin stopped swiping the screen and put the pane down in front of me. The frozen image of a fully colored roof was plainly visible. Ozpin tapped the glass and the motion gained some animation. I could see bits of film grain around the edges of the picture and a few bugs and birds flew into and out of frame. I watched for a few seconds with nothing happening. Then arcs of electricity began to spark off of the roof for no apparent reason, followed by a burst of blew light and a brown blob crash landing on the roof. Only after it careened to a stop did I recognize the familiar shape of my riot helmet and coat. The footage sped up, my body remained still for a number of minutes before randomly jerking to the side and vomiting. The footage ceased and Ozpin reclaimed his chunk of glass.

"… I can explain." I said, suddenly feeling very scrutinized

"I would certainly hope so." Ozpin's smile suddenly seemed a bit more cunning and sinister. "Because my last question was going to be if you'd be willing to tell us the truth."

Fuck me, this guy was a lot more dangerous than any other 'professor' I'd met. Most of them would piss themselves if I moved wrong. Where the hell am I?

"… where would you like me to start?"

…

It was a very long conversation. Mostly one sided, Ozpin was content to listen and ask the occasional question for context. I made sure to cherry pick what I was telling him, otherwise I'd be stuck here even longer. Plus, there were a number of things I felt I _really_ shouldn't tell the man who is clearly pumping me for information.

So, basic gist of what I told him: Big war that ended in two countries setting the world on fire. Some people survive, find the scorched planet, and struggle to survive on the bones of what's left. Some people survived in bunkers designed for twisted experiments. Some people managed to start building countries again. Some people get eaten alive by whatever animals evolved to survive in the wasteland. I made sure to only give the specifics he asked for. If he didn't ask, then it was a secret I had in case of an emergency later.

The conversation finally began to wind down. Ozpin looked nonplused by my story. Something told me he was a man that very little could surprise. Ms. Teacher on the other hand had lost the red and looked at me curiously. I doubt she'd forgotten my earlier comments, but at least my head wasn't on the immediate chopping block… I think.

"… In short-" Ozpin finally said "You're from a world that was destroyed by war. In attempt to fix your world you found a way to travel to the past, but in the process wound up here instead."

"Yes sir, in a nut shell."

Not entirely accurate, but I had no reason to correct him.

The two of us sat in silence for a moment. Ozpin had a solemn look on his face, contemplative even.

"… You're taking this awfully well." I say, twiddling my thumbs

Ozpin gave another chuckle "It's a strange world, would you believe me if I told you a few decades ago our worlds may have stood the chance of suffering similar fates?"

"Honestly? I don't even consider the idea of other worlds unless I'm drunk or bored out of my skull. Still though, you're clearly taking this better than your friend."

Ozpin turned back and looked at ms. Teacher. She immediately snapped to attention, hoping Ozpin didn't notice the sudden slip of emotion. He turned back to me with a smile.

"Don't mind Ms. Goodwitch, not everyone can take a story like yours in stride."

'… Ms. Good _witch_? Well, that's a little ironic.'

"So," I say, stretching a little in my seat. "I guess the question is: what happens next?"

"I believe that depends on you." Ozpin said, fiddling with his cane.

"Well, if it's all the same to you-" I rose from my chair. "I'd like to try and find a way home."

"Oh? From what it sounded like, there isn't much there to call home."

"Yea, well, that doesn't mean I don't have ties there. Thanks for the coffee, but I should probably head out. Happy trails."

I walked towards the door and Ms. Goodwitch stepped in front of me. I got the feeling they weren't going to let me go easy.

"Mr. Six." Ozpin continued "How much do you know about our world?"

"I know you're moon looks like somebody took a bat to a dinner plate."

"Yes, one of them does."

'One of them? This place had more than one moon?'

"But what do you know about the creatures of this world?"

"Not much, but I don't plan on sticking around long enough for a biology lesson."

"I believe we both know that is a lie, Mr. Six."

"Do we now?"

"Yes, I have no doubt that if returning to your world were so easy, you'd already have done it."

'Shit, this man is trying to suss me.'

I could feel my fists tightening. I didn't like the idea of having to beat the shit out of two people who, as far as I knew, were basically just trying to get a handle on things. But if they were going to stop me from getting home then my conscience was going to have to take back seat for a bit.

"If that's the case, then I'm more than willing to help."

My fists relaxed and I turned back to the man sitting at the interrogation table. He'd turned back in his chair to look at me.

"I have friends in a number of positions that could help you in your efforts. I could provide you with shelter and food in the meanwhile and perhaps help you learn a little about this world. I would just need you to hear me out."

I got the nagging feeling in my gut this guy would do fine in the Mojave. Hell, he'd probably end up running the place.

"… Alright." I returned to my seat. "What're your terms?"

…

Very few people have ever gotten a bird's eye view of the Mojave. There aren't a lot of ways for a normal wastelander to actually fly. Maybe if they joined the NCR and were lucky enough to hitch a ride in a Vertibird. But for the average person, getting to fly was a luxury no one could afford.

Yet here I was, standing inside what I can only assume is some sort of airship, flying towards some school I really wanted nothing to do with. It was a small consolation I guess, getting to see everything from so high up. Everything looked so damn small.

This was the deal. I go to what's basically a military academy and Ozpin helps me find my way home. I didn't know for a fact whether or not I could trust him. But I'd be an idiot to turn down food and shelter in a strange land. If he kept trying to get information out of me or started screwing with the TPPT, I doubt there would be anyone who could stop me from leaving.

Plus, they hadn't given me my stuff back. I had the park clothes and my helmet still, but they told me they'd put it all in a locker for me to take when I got there. Which was fine, I'd probably have trouble carrying it all without getting plastered anyway.

Still, I somehow managed to stick out from the crowd anyway. Everyone around me was wearing some sort of ridiculous clothing. Some people were in dresses or suits, others were in armor, others still were dressed like they were from some pre-war kung-fu flick. How the hell _I_ stuck out was beyond me. I was dressed like a normal person, sans helmet, while most everyone else looked like some walking-talking crime against the eyes.

Anyway, The ships were taking course for some building I could see in the distance. It looked like a Cliffside castle, with a central tower that'd probably put the Lucky 38 to shame. My money was on that being Beacon, the giant light on the tower made it pretty obvious.

The trip was slow, not sure how fast the ships were actually going but it felt like it was taking forever. Still, it gave me time to try and take in the world. As soon as the ship landed, I was probably gonna take a look around.

I heard the sound of whimpering next to me and saw this guy looking out the window. He was wearing armor, Jeans, and some weird long-sleeve shirt thing. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and looked like he was about to lose his lunch.

"… Feelin' a bit green around the gills?" I ask, wanting to avoid getting vomit on my only clean shirt.

"Mhmm." He grunted, dry swallowing to keep his stomach intact.

"Well, it's not my place, but I can give you a tip if you want."

He closed his eyes and nodded.

"Smart, take deep breaths through your nose and let them out through your mouth. Do it slowly, It'll calm your nerves."

He nodded and did what I told him. It took a bit, but I could see he was doing better. I wandered away from the kid, figuring he could handle it from there.

On one edge of the room, there was this weird holo-screen. On it, there was a woman telling stories about different events going on around the area. My guess? That was this world's equivalent to the news.

"-The robbery was lead by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, Who continues to Evade Authorities."

A mugshot of Torchwick came on screen, I nearly took a step back when I recognized When I recognized Mr. bowler-hat.

'So his name is Roman? Gonna file that away for future use.'

"If you have any information on his whereabouts, Please contact the Vale police department. Back to you Lisa."

'Police? Those clowns didn't do shit when we were blowing up roof tops last night. The fuck are they gonna do?'

The screen shifted back to a woman with Lavender colored hair. The image of a planet was spinning in the background. This was my first time seeing a working 'tv' of some kind that didn't just have 'technical difficulties' plastered across the screen. This was actually pretty interesting.

"Thank you Cyril." The woman said cheerfully. "In other news, This Saturday's Faunus Rights protest turned dark, when members of the white fang disrupted the Ceremony."

Two images appeared on the screen. One looked like the banner of a softcore Raider group, with what appeared to be a Yao guai head crossed with three slash marks.

The other image was of a group of people with picket signs. I assumed they were the 'Faunus' Lisa just mentioned. But they didn't look all that different from regular people… wait, did some of them have animal ears attached to their heads?

"The once peaceful organization has now disrupted-"

The woman was cut off as the holo-screen faded. As it returned, a copy of Ms. Goodwitch appeared followed by a peaceful chiming.

"Hello, and welcome to beacon." She spoke, this was the first time I'd actually heard her speak. She had a nice voice.

"Who's that?" I heard a girl ask from somewhere behind me.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." The hologram spoke

"Oh." I heard again.

'Glynda Goodwitch…' For some reason I got this nagging feeling in the back of my skull when I heard her full name.

The hologram continued. "You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy."

'Wow, privileged to attend a school where they prepare you to get yourself killed. Boy, aren't I just blessed?'

"Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as Future Huntsmen and Huntresses it is your duty to uphold it."

'Yes heroes, go forth, go forth and die with honor!'

"You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

The Hologram faded and everyone rushed to the windows. Apparently none of them had noticed until right this second that yes, we are high over a city.

"You can see signal from up here." A familiar voice said from behind me.

I turned part way and saw a familiar tiny girl in a red and black outfit looking out the window opposite mine. It wasn't until I saw that ridiculous red hood and cape that I recognized her. It was the girl with the scythe-sniper rifle-thing who nearly got torched with me last night. What was she doing here? Did Ozpin have a chat with her too? Whatever the case, I wasn't in the mood to make friends. I went into stealth mode and leaned against one of the support struts on the wall. We'd probably land before too much longer anyway.

The boy I'd tried to help earlier stumbled away from his window clutching his face.

'Guess he didn't take my advice, his loss.'

I watched him stumble across the room towards a garbage can. He passed by Tiny girl and paused for a bit, probably trying to keep everything inside. I know I saw some bile come out and land on the shoes of some blonde standing next to Tiny.

I got the feeling the next few minutes were going to be entertaining.

…

The ship pulled alongside a landing pad and the doors opened to let us off. Vomit boy went first, he practically ran out of the ship at full speed. Everyone else just sorta trickled out after him. We followed a cut stone path away from the landing area, before us was the castle I'd seen earlier.

I was right, definitely bigger than the lucky 38. Hell, probably most of the strip and freeside too. The nature wasn't bad either, lotta trees and flowers to act as ground cover. There was even a bit of shrubbery for the wayward knight with a speech impediment. Everything looked well maintained and put together. All of the street lamps looked in order, none of the concrete was cracked, Hell they even had a moat surrounding the castle. Classy, now I'm considering putting one around freeside. Might as well put the irradiated water to use.

I noticed tiny girl was having some sort of mini seizure with her blonde friend. She kept darting all over the place and making motions to people.

'Glad I avoided that mess.'

She then took out her scythe and began waving it around. It was at that moment I made a bee line away from the manic little girl. I took off down a side path away from where everyone else was heading. When I heard the sound of an explosion echo from behind me, I knew I'd made the right choice.

The path I followed lead me through a garden filled with trees that I'd never seen before. Granted I'd never seen a tree that was actually alive outside of Zion, but that's beside the point. There were also bushes with red flowers around the garden as well. It was nice, peaceful. I had no clue what I was supposed to do next. Ozpin had told me to get on the ship and get to the academy. The rest would "Sort itself out".

'Yeah, well shit takes a while to sort'

I walked over to a sturdy tree and sat down underneath it. I put my hands behind my head, leaned back, and closed my eyes. It'd been a while since I could take a nap. Glad I found a place where I could do that. Don't know how long I was out for, probably only a few minutes at the most. Then along came trouble.

"-Hey that explosion was an accident!" A familiar voice cried

'Oh, please, no. let me rest, please?'

I cracked my eyes open and who else could be walking down the path but Tiny and Vomit boy.

"Well, the name's Jaune Arc." Vomit boy said. "Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it."

"…Bullshit." I say under my breath

Then, as though the deity watching over me wished for me to suffer, they heard me. Somehow they heard me whispering and noticed me lying under the tree. Vomit boy, or Jaune I guess, leapt out of his skin while Tiny just looked confused, before recognizing my helmet.

"Oh, hi!" She waved and started walking towards me, Jaune was following close behind.

'Fuck me, I don't want to talk to these guys.'

I stood up and brushed myself off. She stood in front of me with a nervous smile.

"I'm Ruby" She extended her hand out to me "We sorta met last night?"

"Yea, I remember you." I sighed, accepting her hand and giving it a firm shake. "Courier Six."

I finally got a good look at her face. Small nose, pale skin, and a bright smile framed by raven hair that had crimson undertones. There were also her eyes. I'm pretty sure silver isn't a natural eye color, but they were hard to ignore.

She gave me a confused look.

"Yes, that's my name. Word of warning, if you're going to call me something, call me six."

"ok?" She said in equal confusion. Great, now I seem like a weirdo. Can't be any worse than Jaune though.

"So, you two know each other?" Jaune asked

"Not really" Ruby answered "We met last night after a couple of guys tried to rob me."

"Think they tried to do a bit more than that." I chime in

"What were you doing on that roof anyway?" Ruby asked

"… sight-seeing."

"Oh, see anything cool?"

My mind did a quick demo reel of all the events that happened shortly after I arrived in this world.

"Nah, you see one city, you've seen them all."

"So I guess you travel a lot then?" Jaune asked

"Yea, just a bit." I nod my head

"Well, nice to meet you Six." Jaune said extending his hand

I shook it. "Nice to meet you as well Jaune."

Ruby nodded and silence fell amongst the group. Wonderful, I show up and the conversation dies. I decided it was my job to keep things going. I looked at the two of them and noticed they were both armed.

"That's a nice sword you got there." I say, eyeing the blade strapped to Jaune's waist.

"Yea?" He asked with a bright smile. He drew it and waved it around a little bit. The blade was worn and scratched, it'd probably seen better days before this boy got ahold of it. From the way he was swinging it about, I got the distinct impression he didn't know the first thing about actually wielding one. He then grabbed the scabbard from his hip and put it on his arm. A set of wings shot out on either side, turning the flat metal tube into a shield.

"Not bad." I say with a nod. That was actually pretty nifty.

"You think that's cool?" Ruby said with a broad grin. "Check this out."

She reached behind her back and pulled out a red slab of steel. She pulled a latch and the slab expanded into her gigantic scythe. She swung it around as it opened and slammed the tip into the ground. The gardener wasn't going to be happy about that.

"Whoa." Jaune said in surprise "That's a big scythe"

'no shit Watson.'

"It's also a high impact sniper-rifle." She said with an accomplished grin on her face.

"… What?" Jaune asked

"She said it's a gun." I explain for him

"Oh. Cool!"

"What about you six?" Ruby asked, looking me up and down.

"I –uh, kinda don't have anything on me at the moment. It's all in a locker I gotta go find."

"Aw." Ruby said, disappointed

"Speaking of finding things-" Jaune cut in "Shouldn't we be finding our way to the entrance ceremony?"

"I thought you knew where it was?" Ruby asked

"Me? I was just following you."

I lifted my pip-boy and flipped through the data screen. I found a note for the opening ceremony and highlighted it. The map was no good, but the compass that pointed me around worked just fine. I really don't understand how this thing works, and at this point asking doesn't make a lot of sense. The compass needle pointed back in the direction they'd come.

"It's back that way." I motioned

Ruby stared at the symbiotic hunk of metal latched to my arm. A twinkle in her eyes.

"What is that?" she asked

"This?" I motioned to the pip-boy "A ten pound hunk of metal that points me where I need to go."

"Sounds uncomfortable." Jaune added

"Only until you get used to it."

"Well, I guess we should get going then." Ruby said, turning to walk back the way they'd come. "You coming Six?"

"I don't know, didn't your parents ever teach you not to wander around with Strangers?"

"My mom told me Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet." Jaune chimed in

"Heh. She sounds like a nice person."

'-and someone who wouldn't last five minutes in the wasteland.'

…

We walked through the giant stone arch that lead to the courtyard of the Academy. Not sure how they missed everyone crowding here, but here we were now. Not sure if it's just because everyone was dressed in such outlandish outfits or what, but no one really stood out to me. They all just kinda seemed like silhouettes if people. Eh, probably just my imagination.

"Ruby! Over here!" Shouted the blonde I'd seen her with earlier. "I saved you a spot!"

Ruby waved to her and turned back to us briefly. "Sorry, gotta go. See you guys after the ceremony."

She smiled and hurried off to her friend.

"H-hey… ugh" Jaune grumbled.

I took that as my cue to silently leave. Before Jaune even noticed I'd already vanished into the crowd. Not that I stayed there long anyway, I went to the nearest wall and stayed there with my back to it. I just managed to lose my last group, didn't want to start gathering another one. I stayed there for about a minute before Ozpin took the stage set up at one end of the courtyard.

"Ahem- I'll keep this brief." His voice echoed over a PA system. "Many of you have traveled here today in search of knowledge, others out of a sense of duty, and others still in an attempt to make something of yourselves."

'I Wonder, which one do I fall in?'

"However, you have all come for a singular goal, to hone your skills and acquire the knowledge to improve. Once completed, you plan to dedicate your life to the defense of this world and its people."

I heard some murmuring from the crowd, could see a few smiles too. Most of them probably had no idea the things that were probably waiting for them.

"But looking out amongst you? All I see is wasted energy. Light, burning itself out with no true intention, nor conviction. You assume that by coming here and honing yourselves you will find that intention, that purpose and direction. But your time here will only show you how far knowledge can carry you. It is up to you to decide where you go from there, and take that first step."

Ozpin adjusted the sweater around his neck and walked off the stage. Ms. Goodwitch soon took his place at the Mic.

"Tonight everyone will be gathered in the Ballroom. Tomorrow, you will face initiation."

'Wonderful, now I'm gonna get no sleep, and then get hazed for the next twelve hours.'

Glynda dismissed the crowd and we were left to roam. I didn't really care what the rest of them did, but I decided I wanted to make sure I hadn't lost anything and went looking for my locker.

…

Good news, I found my locker after about an hour of wandering around. Guess Ozpin has a sense of humor, he gave me number 006. I'm honestly surprised he managed to fit all of my stuff in there. Though I wasn't surprised to find he'd taken my booze and the few meds I kept with me. Should've seen it coming. I left most of my stuff in there anyway, I don't have a reason to put my armor on right this second and all of the weapons and junk would probably slow me down. But a pair of spike knuckles and a couple of bottle caps never did me any harm.

Until, that is, I found the bad news. This world doesn't accept bottle caps. Should've figured they'd have a stable enough economy to not rely on bits of rusted steel and water for currency. I did have some other stuff on me that probably would've worked as currency. But I got the feeling using legion denarius, coins that are made of solid gold, might be a bit over kill. We were also left to fend for ourselves for the night. They'd serve meals tomorrow, but we'd have to feed ourselves tonight. Not sure what everyone else did, but I lit a fire in the back corner of a garden and cooked some mantis legs. Tasty.

After that I kept wandering around until the sun started to set. Wish I'd thought to bring some sleep wear with me. But I've learned to make do. Gotta admit though, I'm glad this place has hot running water. I haven't had a good shower in weeks. Before you ask, no, most of the lucky 38's showers don't work. Trust me, I spent weeks trying to fix most of them. The few that do only run cold.

I kept my helmet off only momentarily to wash my hair off. Soon as I was done it went back on. I finished, stole someone's towel to dry off, and put the park stroller pants back on. I kept the shirt off, my undershirt would work fine for sleeping. We were all corralled into a large room with a hard wood floor. They were handing out some basic sheets and cushions for people to sleep on. It was getting late and some people were already settled in, though lights-out hadn't been called yet. I could see Ruby and her Blonde friend talking and lounging on their makeshift beds. Ruby was writing something and the blonde one was… looking strangely at some of the guys in the room. She said something and Ruby threw a pillow at her head.

I took a sheet and set myself into a corner. Didn't need a mattress, those things give people tetanus. At least they did in the wasteland. Either way, not taking a chance. Plus I'm used to huddling myself into a corner when I sleep on the road.

I back myself into a corner and slide to the floor, I lay the blanket on top of me and flick the switch on the side of my helmet to stop the eye holes of my mask from glowing. Things immediately became a lot dimmer from my point of view. That's all I really needed to resume that nap I was working on before. The helmet helped muffle the room a bit more and I could feel my eyes starting to get heavy. Sleep was upon me, all I need do is let it take me.

Then I heard the sound of a match being lit and my eyes were open in a flash. Though the light was dimmed without my lenses being lit they took in natural light just fine. A little off to my right, a girl with long black hair and a bow was lighting a candelabra. I leaned forward slightly and looked at her. She took notice of me and immediately took a step back, dropping her book in surprise. Her Golden eyes wide with surprise and her bow seeming to stand on end.

She just stared at me cautiously and I looked at her tiredly, not quite registering she probably couldn't tell I was just wondering why she was lighting candles. Then I remembered the book and looked down at it. It was a black leather bound tome with no images or wording on the outside. I reached out and picked it up from the floor, half tempted to take a look before remembering I can't read the weird symbols this place called an alphabet. I raised the book up and held it out to her. She looked at it cautiously and I waited patiently. She took it out of my hand and I made the best universal hand gesture I could think of for 'it's cool, just be quiet please'. I gave her a nod and settled back into my corner as she settled into her book.

I began to relax and let my mind go blank. Let the dark seep into my brain so I could maybe get some sleep. Deep breaths, slowly making my thoughts fade and my muscles-

"Helloooo!" a jovial voice sang as someone approached

'Graham dammit, what now?'

I raised my head and flicked the lights in my lenses back on. The Blonde was dragging Ruby over towards my corner, whether it was for me or the girl next to me I didn't know.

"I believe you two may know- Urk!" The blonde cut herself off short as she realized there was more than one person over here. Courier six: three, hapless kids: zip.

The blonde was wearing an orange tank top and black short shorts, Ruby was dressed in a black one and white sweatpants with frilly Rosebuds on them.

"Oh, hi Six." Ruby said with a smile

I reached my hand out of my blanket and gave her a little wave. The Blonde girl looked back and for the between us. Then she got this weird grin on her face.

"So that's a definite two hundred percent increase. Told you it wasn't so bad."

I cocked my head to the side in confusion. Ruby just made a motion with her hand to ignore the blonde one.

"… aren't you the girl that exploded?" The black haired girl asked

Ruby turned to face the other girl while I just continued to look at them. Ruby caused an explosion?

"Umm, yeah." Ruby said in embarrassment "My name's Ruby." Ruby extended her hand to the black haired girl and was left hanging as the girl turned back to her book. Well someone's a bit catty.

"But- you could just call me crater… uh… actually, please just call me Ruby."

"… Okay" The black haired girl said in slight amusement.

I looked up at Ruby and did my best to convey 'What the hell are you doing?'

Apparently she got it and shot me back a pleading look, 'I don't know, help.'

"Sooo, what's your name?" the Blonde asked

The black haired girl sighed and looked up from her book. "Blake." She said

"Well, Blake, I'm Yang." The blonde girl said with a smile. "I'm Ruby's older sister… I like your bow."

I stared at Yang for a second before looking at Ruby. I flipped back and forth between the two for a moment. Trying to piece together the fact that these two girl who look absolutely nothing alike are sisters. Needless to say, my brain hurt after a minute.

"Thanks." Blake said curtly, probably wanting this conversation to end as much as I did.

"It goes great with your… Pajamas."

"… right."

Ruby started fidgeting awkwardly, I get the feeling she was uncomfortable having her sibling speak for her.

"Nice night, right?" Yang asked

"Yes, Just lovely. Almost as much as this book… Which I'm going to continue to read… as soon as you stop bugging me."

'Ooh, this girl _is catty._ I like her already.'

"Sorry Ruby." Yang shrugged "We tried, she's a lost cause."

"What's it about?" Ruby spoke up finally

"Hmm?" Blake asked

"The Book. Does it have a name?"

"… well" Blake began "It's about a man with two souls. Each fighting for control over his body."

"Oh yeah…" Yang rolled her eyes "That's… real lovely."

"Well it is when you consider it allegorically." I say softly.

"What?" Blake asked, turning to look at me. Ruby and Yang did the same. They looked interested in what I had to say. If this happens again I'm gonna have to test how good their hearing is.

"Oh uh, nothing, don't pay attention to the strange man in the mask."

I picked myself up from my corner and threw my blanket over my shoulder

"You ladies can have this corner, it's a bit too crowded for my taste. Have a good night."

I walked away from the conversation as another person joined it. Some girl who was white as snowflake in every sense of the word. I'd have assumed she was albino if it wasn't for the lack of a few other key traits. I could hear them shouting for a bit before the candle Blake had lit was snuffed. I slid into another corner and turned my helmet off. Finally getting sleep to claim my tired mind.

…

For once I actually managed to get some sleep. By the time my eyes popped open the sun was rising and people were beginning to rouse from their slumber. I peeled myself out of my corner and stretched a little. Back was a bit stiff, but that's what happens when you sleep on a wall. I twisted my head with my hands, cracking my neck a little. There weren't too many people currently awake, so the restrooms were probably deserted. I took the chance to go and brush my teeth and splash some water on my face. I do not know what the day will bring, but I will greet it with clean teeth and open eyes.

As I slid my helmet back on, the door to the restroom burst open as some kid with a stone face walked in. He was dressed in one of those kung-fu costumes I'd mentioned earlier. He was also being followed by this orange haired girl who kept buzzing around him, chattering like a jet addled radscorpion.

The guy gave me this pleading look as I walked past him. He couldn't see my face, but he had my condolences since I wasn't getting in the middle of that. I went back to the ballroom and returned my blanket to the pile of sheets people had borrowed from. After that I finally had the opportunity to sample what this place called food.

… At least, I would have if it didn't all look so strange. There was this yellow mush people were eating with some red sauce. Brown disks served with some sweet brown syrup. Stiff rectangles with some yellow grease smeared on the top. Brown tubes of meat and, what looked like, spices. Plus a whole assortment of fruits, grains, and cereals I didn't recognize. None of it looked even slightly familiar. Did the pre-war world have breakfast food like this? Because the only frame of reference I have is two hundred year old boxes of cereal. All I really knew was that it tasted like crap and sugar.

So I just looked at the cereal with the highest sugar count and poured myself a bowl. Something called Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes. I couldn't find the Brahmin milk, so I settled for whatever 2% milk was. It tasted like water. I also snagged the closest thing I could find to a mutfruit. The cereal was disgusting, somehow this world managed to find something even worse than sugar bombs. Just a reminder, people found a way to make _jet_ out of sugar bombs. Congratulations, parallel world whose name I don't know, you're officially worse than jet cooks.

At least the fruit wasn't bad. It was orange, pleasantly sweet, and didn't make me regret picking it up.

I cleaned up after my meal and headed to collect my gear. I was, so far, able to keep ahead of most of the crowd. I returned to my locker and stripped off the remaining half of the park outfit. Sliding back into my riot armor. I took my time putting it on. I wasn't sure if the police had messed with it while I was being interrogated, but I wasn't taking any chances of my armor falling out of place at the wrong moment.

By the time I finished, Kung-fu boy and motor mouth had caught up. Along with a bunch of other students. I could see Ruby and Yang collecting their Weapons and having a conversation about milk, for some reason. Jaune was wandering around with a slip of paper, complaining about the number six. I saw little miss snowflake talking with… with.

I stopped immediately when I saw the girl she was talking to. Even from a distance I could recognize the distinctive armor of the legion. The fuck was a legionnaire doing here? My hand reached into my locker and gripped the first pistol it could find. My thumb cocked back the hammer and my trigger finger hovered outside the guard. I was jumping to conclusions, I knew I was. There was no reason for the legion to be here. If I was wrong, I'd have blown an innocent girl's brains out and gotten myself a one way ticket to this world's equivalent to jail.

Then a thought occurred to me. The legion didn't let girls fight. I remember having to find information about that when I was dealing with the Khans. Plus, now that I was paying attention, her armor didn't look quite right. This girl couldn't have been a legionnaire. If she was, I don't think miss snowflake would be getting chummy with her so easy… right?

I took a deep breath and relaxed my grip on the gun. I moved the hammer back into position and looked to see what gun I'd grabbed in the first place. It was a 10MM pistol. I shrugged and slid it into a holster I kept on my hip. I followed it with a beat-up hunting rifle I brought with me. I had no clue what the 'initiation' was going to entail, I figured the two should suffice. Didn't want to blow my wad before I knew what I was up against.

I slid the rifle a loop I kept slung across my back. And looked back into the locker. Part of me felt I was going light for something like this and didn't like it. I reached back in and grabbed four of the grenades I brought with me. I wasn't particularly fond of them. I've never been good about timing my throws. But If I needed a bang, they'd work.

I strapped the grenades to my armor and closed the locker. I looked back to Snowflake and the Legionnaire and found Jaune was now talking to them. Well, not talking, more like he was trying to play Casanova and failing miserably. Though it seemed legion was taking an interest in him.

"Would all First Years please gather to Beacon Cliff?" Glynda's voice sounded from a nearby speaker. "Initiation will commence shortly."

The sound of machinery and metal on stone rang out and Jaune was suddenly pinned to the wall by the hood of his shirt. A large. Brass and red colored protruded from the garment that was once his hood. Legion approached him, patted him on the head, and removed the spear before exiting with snowflake in toe. Guess I was wrong?

Ruby and Yang approached him. I did to, but only because the exit was that direction anyway.

"Run into a bit of trouble, Lady killer?" Yang asked

"… I don't get it. My dad said all women look for is confidence." Jaune whined "What'd I do wrong?

"Perhaps you should've asked your mother." I say, catching everyone's attention. I offer a hand to the crumpled boy. He took it and shakily got off of the ground.

"Though 'Snow Angel', probably wasn't the best place to start either." Yang said teasingly

I looked at Yang in confusion, then back to Jaune. "You said _that_? Wow, you really are a dumbass."

Jaune made a sad whining noise and Ruby gave me a small scowl. Hey, just stating the obvious, the dude's a dumbass. She patted him on the back and they started off towards the exit. I felt a smack on mine as Yang walked past me. She gave me a smirk and sashayed away.

…

The cliff we gathered at overlooked a vast forest. It looked like it stretched for miles ahead of us. We were all lined up at the cliff edge, standing on metal plates. To my right was Jaune, fidgeting nervously, and to my left was Ruby, looking ready to burn the forest down. Ozpin and Glynda stood just in front of us. Probably to read us our last rites.

"For years, you've trained to be warriors." Ozpin said to the line of teenagers. "Today will be the day where we test you."

"Some of you may have heard that you will be assigned to teams." Glynda continued. "Allow me to clarify, Each of you will be placed on a team. Today.

"W-what?" Ruby said, her previous stoicism broken

A small murmur broke out amongst the crowd. Apparently I missed something, since when were teams a thing? I didn't agree to that.

"The teams you build today shall remain with you for the remainder of your days here at Beacon." Ozpin broke in "So it is best to partner with people who you will work well with."

Ruby made another dismayed noise. I was getting a similar feeling but at least had a mask that didn't show it.

"That said, the first person with whom you share eye contact shall remain your partner for the next four years."

Partners too? Oh I know I didn't sign up for any of this brahmin-crap.

"What!?" Ruby squeaked, clearly sharing my disdain for group activities.

"After you've found your partner, you will make your way to the northern end of the forest. There will be obstacles for you to overcome. Do not hesitate, or you _will_ die."

Jaune made a noise that sounded like he was about to piss himself.

"You will be monitored the duration of your time in the forest, However you will be expected to fend for yourselves. The instructors will not intervene. At the far end of the Forest you will find an abandoned temple containing several relics. Each partnership shall collect one, then return here with it. We shall evaluate you and your relic to determine your mark. Are there any questions?"

"You gonna keep blabbing, or are we gonna get started?" I ask

Ozpin Smirked "Very well, prepare yourselves."

The students to my left all took odd stances, Jaune just raised his hand. "Um, sir, I've got a question?"

The sound of high pressure pistons and spring rang to my left. I watched as miss snowflake was launched off the Cliffside at highspeed.

'the hell…?'

"So, this landing strategy thing, uh, w-what is it?"

"Landing strategy?" I asked him, more students to my left took off into the air. "The hell are you talking about?"

"Yeah-" Jaune continued "We were told to prepare a landing strategy for the initiation earlier this morning."

More students to my left launched into the air as the pit in my stomach grew. "I don't remember that."

"It was right when everyone woke up, I assumed they were going to drop us off or give us parachutes."

"What time?"

I heard Yang take off into the air as Jaune continued. "I don't know, like seven thirty I think. Ms. Goodwitch said-"

I immediately tuned him out as my head whipped back to the two teachers standing in front of us. I ignored Ozpin and focused onto Goodwitch as I heard Ruby take off next to me. Goodwitch had the most satisfied smirk on her face I'd ever seen. Her eyes looking expectantly at the cold dish she just served me.

"YOU BITC-" I couldn't finish that sentence. The plate underneath me erupted and I was launched off the Cliffside.

* * *

 **A/N: I really wasn't expecting the feedback I got. I was pleasantly surprised by the rapid response everyone gave and got started on the next chapter ASAP. I wouldn't expect them all to come out as quickly as this one, But I figured I had enough time to cobble together another one. I really do appreciate any constructive feed back I'm given, I like knowing if and how I can improve my stories and writing. 'till next time.**

 **-Ash**


	3. Trial in the Woods

I mentioned before how peaceful it is to get a bird's eye view. How it's a thing only a few wastelanders will ever have the fortune of seeing. How tiny and peaceful everything seemed. Even then, as I continued to fly upwards into the wild blue yonder, I still believed that to be true. Even as I hit my parabolic arc and begin my descent I still believed it was beautiful.

"FUCK! FUCK! FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU-"

I just wished it wasn't overshadowed by the crippling fear I was feeling.

I was already beginning to lose sight of the other would-be hunters. Some were crashing into the forest with all the grace of a drunk Gecko, others floated through the air like feathers. Every one of them prepared for what they needed to do, having _had_ time to prepare. I needed to improvise, fast.

'Ok six, calm down, ground's getting close. Gotta think.'

My mind ran through as many ideas as it could, cobbling together any ideas that could potentially slow my descent. Part of me briefly entertained the idea of using explosions to slow myself down. Of course, that was assuming I'd brought something more effective than a bunch of grenades. Plus, this wasn't a cartoon, I'd kill myself trying that. I knew a lot of other shit though, some of it was actually useful at one point or another. I knew that spreading out force across a large area lessen the impact, it's why a shield or armor worked like they do. But that was only going to do so much, I needed to slow down. If I could hit the leaves of a taller tree it'd help, but would it be enough? Even if it did, it was still going to hurt worse than that time Lily Dragged me into that radscorpion nest.

'…wait, drag! That's it!'

Moving like a man who was hurtling to the ground and didn't want to die, I slid my legs into a set of loops that were stitched into the lower section of the Riot armor's duster. They were there to help it be form fitting, just needed to hope they were up to the task. With my legs ready and the ground creeping up fast, I gripped either side of my duster and spread my coat taut. The effect was almost immediate, the wind caught my expanded coat like a sail and slowed me down. But that didn't change the fact that landing was still gonna suck. I stayed airborne for about another five seconds. Struggling to angle myself towards the highest tree I could with my rapidly declining height. I dive bombed straight into a sea of green. The leaves were the first thing to try and cushion my fall. Then I crashed through those and against dozens of branches before blowing out the other side. I came out spinning, unable to control my fall anymore. I was crashing hard. The world was a blurred kaleidoscope of greens and browns.

Then I hit something chest first, it was cold and wet for the moment I was on it. Then I bounced, hit it again, bounced, and then crashed down, skidding to a halt in the dirt. It took me until after the world stopped spinning to realize I just skipped myself across a small pool of water. Of course, that wasn't immediate.

"…Ooooowwww." I wheezed painfully.

The world spun, my body felt like I just went ten rounds in the ring with Veronica, and I was considering walking into this bright light that was slowly creeping up in front of me. Then I realized I was just staring at the reflection of the sunlight on the water. I wasn't entirely cognizant, but I got the feeling the last thing I needed at this moment was to add drowning to my current list of ailments. I'd come to rest under the shade of a tree, sunlight trickling through the gaps between the various tree banches. I laid on the ground, hoping some of the pain would subside. At this moment, I think I was starting to understand what the term 'Adamantium Skeleton' meant. Nothing felt broken but I was gonna need a stimpack or some med-X. Unfortunately, Ozpin had confiscated everything that remotely looked like a drug. Fucking narc. Guess I was gonna have to settle for bronze.

As soon as my bones didn't feel like shattered glass, I dragged myself out from under the tree and into the direct sunlight. Not sure when it happened, but at some point in the past I noticed that spending time under the sun had a number of impacts on me. Such as making me not feel like I was sitting at death's door. Not sure when it happened, furthest back I can remember it was after my time in vault 22. …Perhaps I should check with Keely when I get back. Unfortunately, it wasn't all that powerful. If I had a day to spend just lounging in the sun I'd probably be fit as a fiddle in no time. But I didn't, I had to keep moving if I didn't want whatever 'obstacles' Ozpin had mentioned making a snack out of me. I'd get better with time though, so I guess it pays to be Solar Powered.

"WOOHOO!" I hear a voice hooping overhead. It is promptly followed by several bouts of gunfire. I see a yellow blur pass over head, binging off the trees and descending into the forest up ahead. In the distance I could hear a soft "Nailed it!"

'… show off.'

If I was following the spirit of Ozpin's whole "partnership" guideline, I'd have to peel myself from the ground and chase her down. But I wasn't observing the spirit. I was looking at the word. There'd been no eye contact, I wasn't getting a partner. Screw Ozpin if he says otherwise. Screw him and his fucking secretary…

"THAT FUCKING BITCH!" I shouted, trying to bite back the pain that was coursing through my body. "I swear, when I get my hands on her I'll… I'll…!" I proceeded to break down into a series of unintelligent noises. Being completely honest, I was only half as mad as it seemed. Most of it was me trying to vocalize my pain. I went on like that for a few seconds, then my throat started hurting too so I put a stop to it. I took several deep breaths and tried to focus, pushing the pain out of my mind and getting my ducks in a row.

'Ok, I can worry about revenge later. Right now, I need to move. Let's see if I can stand.'

Despite pain still rippling through my body, I manage to roll to the side and push myself up. Limbs feeling like jelly with sticks in them. By that judgment, I estimated I was about fifteen percent not dead. Not particularly good in any way, but I was getting better with each second in the sun. I trudged away from my landing spot.

…

All things considered, once the pain mostly subsided I was doing pretty well. I hadn't seen anyone since my landing. I also hadn't seen any trouble yet. As far as I was concerned, things couldn't be better. I could hear gunfire and the sounds of struggle echoing from elsewhere in the forest, but nowhere actually close enough to draw my immediate attention.

I'd been following the compass of my pip-boy for probably half an hour. I had no clue how far the temple was from the cliff we'd been launched, but I assumed I was making good time. I had to say, it seemed like my luck was taking a turn.

Then the forest caught fire. I walked into a clearing, caught the whiff of smoke for all of a second, then the forest behind me caught fire. Then forest to both of my sides caught fire. Everything was burning.

I broke into a run and charged into the forest ahead of me. The heat and smoke clouded my vision, but I knew standing still was just going to get me killed. Then I leapt over a giant burning tree and met what I can only assume were the 'obstacles'. In front of me were three frenzied creatures. They appeared to be some hideously mutated dog or wolf. Fur the color of tar and boney spikes covering them. Their eyes glowed beneath the bone armor that covered their heads. If there existed creatures that screamed 'I'm evil' louder than these things, I had yet to meet it.

The largest of the creatures noticed me. It stopped panicking and turned to face me, letting out a distorted and warped howl. I could feel the fire growing more intense with every passing second. I couldn't stay here, but these creatures wanted otherwise. I drew the 10mm pistol from my hip holster and got a bead on the smallest one's head. One twitch of my finger, and a ball of hot lead leapt from the barrel. I could see the impact, the head of the small one pivoted backwards and stayed tilted for a bit. Then its head lurched back down and it glared at me again. Not so much as a crack in its armor. It gave a low growl.

'Oh come on!'

10mm was pretty weak by just about any standard. There was just so much of it that wastelanders kept using it. I figured that it'd be at least somewhat useful, I shouldn't have been surprised this world was gonna throw me another curve ball. But, for probably the third time now, it did and I was. I might as well have just shot the thing with a BB gun.

The small wolf charged at me, its two friends keeping pace behind it. Part of me was tempted to turn VATs on and hope I could target something vital before they got to me. But there were three of them, even if I got one I'd be left to deal with the others. That's not even accounting for the fact that VATs keeps me from running. So I took option B, I ran.

I strafed to the left of the beasts and they curved their gait to keep in line with me. One handing the 10mm, I squeezed the trigger. Slinging lead towards the wolves as they chased me. The small one drew close enough and pounced. I dove and rolled as it crashed past me and into the fire. I wasn't going to count on it burning and quickly got back to my feet, running as fast as I could in the direction of the forest that wasn't currently a burning hell hole. I fired off another three shots from my pistol, emptying the clip. The bullets whizzed through the air, two buried themselves into the dirt. The third found a home in the paw of mid-sized wolf. The beast snarled loudly, clearly effected to some extent by the small wad of lead that hit it. But it wasn't enough to stop it, it was slowed slightly but it still continued to chase me.

I could feel myself sweating bullets in my armor and helmet. The heat of the fire was unbearable. I was running as fast as I could, but the blaze was still expanding. Whatever had caused the fire must've lit the place up worse than a flamer. My lungs burned from the heat and the running. I could hear the beasts behind me. If the fire bothered them, they weren't showing it. I grabbed one of the grenades from my belt and pulled the pin. I released the safety lever and counted, chucking it over my shoulder at the two count. I leapt over a fallen tree and heard a solid * ** _BOOM*_** echo out from behind me. I heard one of the wolves let out a distorted yelp and hoped I managed to wound one of them. But I couldn't turn and check, I needed to keep running.

I reached a small clearing in the flames, an area where the trees had either never taken root or had been removed from. Wasn't sure which. I bolted across the clearing. I could just barely see the part of the forest the blaze had yet to claim. It was right behind those Yao Guai.

'Yao Guai!?'

I stumbled to a halt. In front of me was a pack of four Yao Guai, or rather this world's version of them. They shared some similarities to the wolves. Bone plates covering their heads like a helmet, spikes protruding randomly from their bodies, and their fur black like tar. They saw me and immediately closed the distance. I turned, two of the wolves were waiting. The large one, who was missing most of its left fore paw, and the medium sized one, it's jaws slack and rear legs trailing behind it. Guess the grenade only did half the job.

I raised my pistol and pulled the trigger. The empty click of the receiver reminded me I needed to reload. The Yao guai and wolves circled me. Probably trying to get me to panic, make a stupid move so they could tear me down. Unfortunately, I'm not drunk. I grab another clip out of my coat and reload the pistol, racking the slid to chamber a round. One of the Yao Gaui motions towards me. I turn and draw on it, I squeeze the trigger and pump a round at its head. It hit the mask, but the splatter sends a shard of lead into its eye. It reacts, it's not happy at all. The glowing in its now wounded eye dies down.

"Come on!" I roar at them "What!? You afraid!? HUH!?"

Their circling begins to slow.

"I've got enough bullets for all of you! COME ON!"

I wrap a finger around the wire loop of a grenade pin. I have my hunting rifle still slung to my back, but it wasn't meant for fights this close. It'd take too long to aim. This fight was going to be short and loud. If I'm being honest, I under shot this by a gross margin. I was a skilled shot even without VATs, if I'd even had half a plan coming in here I'd have been fine. Instead, my dumb ass walked into a forest fire filled with tough as hell mutant animals. Saying I got luck like 13 pitch black cats and the perception of a trout can't even begin to describe it.

The Yao Guai charged me, I turned and squeezed the trigger as many time as I could as they bore down on me. Hot lead tore at the charging bears. I could see the bullets sparking as they clashed against their bone armor. They lunged and I wrapped my hand completely around the grenade.

Then I took to the sky.

Something came at me from out of left field and pulled me out of the fire. At first it slammed me face first into the dirt, then it pulled me up with bursts of air smacking against the ground. I could see the ground quickly falling away as the thing that grabbed me took off into the sky. I scrambled to look at the thing holding me. Looking back, it appeared to be some sort of crow or raven. Only it was the size of a bus and had a bone mask/helmet like every other mutant I'd seen. It'd plucked me from the forest and was currently flying low over the trees. It seemed to be preparing to rise a little higher as the distance from us and the fire grew.

'yea, this isn't happening.'

I aimed my pistol behind my back and stuck it against the leg that was holding me. Before we got any higher, I pulled the trigger twice. The talons holding me released and I fell back into the canopy, crashing through the leaves and bouncing off of tree branches. I pass through, fall, and hit the ground with a thud. The wind gets knocked out of me and I'm left coughing. I'm overheated, can't breathe, and I hear a ringing in my head. Part of me really just wanted to lay there.

"Six?" A familiar voice asked through the ringing

'Great, now what?'

I turn my head to the left and see Ruby sitting on the ground. The snowflake girl was standing behind her. She looked like she'd been pacing around. On a bright side, I still wasn't getting a partner. The dark side, I was going to be stuck with these two for the rest of the trip. I could feel it in my bones. Either that or it was from hitting the ground again.

"… Howdy." I grunt, as I force myself up from the ground.

"Who's that?" The snowflake asked, with just the faintest hint of snobbery.

"He's a… friend?" Ruby ventured

"More like a bad habit." I say, approaching them.

"Ugh." Snowflake groaned, rolling her eyes. "Perfect, just what I needed."

"Well screw you too Snowflake."

Snowflake glared at me while Ruby looked sullenly at the ground.

"Whatever." Snowflake grumbled, grabbing Ruby by the sleeve "Come on Ruby. The temple's this way." She then proceeded to walk in a direction that, according to my compass, was not the right way.

"… I mean, this way!" She corrected herself, now going the complete opposite direction of the temple. She then stopped again "… actually, you know what? We passed it."

"You got any idea where you're going Snowflake?" I ask, sliding my pistol back into its holster.

Snowflake gave me another glare, probably had the patent for it or something. "I know _exactly_ where I'm going."

"Uh huh." I nod sarcastically

"-And my name, is Weiss Schnee." She said indignantly

"Alright, got it, White Knee, totally gonna remember that. So where are you going then?"

I felt her glare ratchet up a notch as I continued to grate on her nerves. I was doing a wonderful job at it.

"We are going to the forest temple." She hissed angrily

"Ugh." Ruby groaned from her position as dead weight

"Oh stop it." Weiss switched her attention to the girl in black "You've got no idea where we are going either."

"Well at least I'm not pretending like I know everything!"

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"It means you're a big, stupid, Jerk and I hate you!" Ruby pulled her sleeve free from Weiss's grip and motion angrily to her.

"Urgh!" Weiss growled angrily "Just keep moving!"

 _"'Oh, Just keep moving', 'hurry up!', 'wah! Watch where you're going!'_ ; Why are you so bossy?"

"I'm not Bossy! Don't say things like that!"

"Well then stop treating me like a kid!"

"Stop acting like a kid!"

"Well stop acting like you're perfect!"

"I'm! Not! Perfect!"

"Enough!" I shout at the top of my lungs "You're _both_ acting like a couple of children!"

The two stopped their shouting match and looked at me. Ruby looking like a kicked puppy, Weiss like a very angry and smug cat.

"I am _not_ a child." She growled

"Could've fooled me since your acting like a spoiled brat. What, mommy and daddy didn't buy you that pony you wanted?"

I hit a nerve with that. The look she gave me implied she really wanted to stab me with that weird looking sword on her hip.

"How dare you!"

"Whatever."

I look down at my compass to find my bearing. Soon as I find it I turn my back on the duo. I walked off in the direction of the compass.

"Hey! Where're you going!?" Weiss demanded angrily "Get back here!"

"Take a wild guess. I'm going to the temple. Have fun you two."

"Hold on!" Ruby shouted

"Not happening Ruby!" I say back "Your partner knows what she's doing, let her sort it-"

There was a massive rush of air from behind me and a flurry of rose petals. From nowhere, Ruby appeared and was now pushing against my armor with her tiny hands. It was having no effect on me.

"-out… how the hel-"

"Please don't leave." Ruby said quickly "I don't want to be left alone with her, she's mean."

"I heard that!" Weiss shouted

I kept walking and Ruby kept pushing, with the only result being her boots sliding backwards in the dirt as I moved.

"please." She asked again

"Ruby, she's your partner." I say, slowly moving her to the side "How're you going to work together if you can't come to a consensus on something like this?"

"I… I don't know." She admitted

She stopped resisting and stepped aside. Remember how I said she looked like a kicked puppy before? Now she looked like a kicked puppy that just watched all its siblings get sold off. I continued forward, stepping through some bushes, following my compass, and ignoring the sad girl behind me. She'd be fine, she was tougher than she looked. She totally wasn't crying right now. If she couldn't do this, how was she going to make it here? These two could find their way by themselves, right? Their sense of direction isn't _that_ bad.

'… is it?'

I stopped walking and looked up from my compass.

'Don't do it six, this'll be easier without company. Just get in, grab something, get out. Don't complicate it.'

"… ugh." I sighed

'don't you fucking dare.'

I turned around and started walking back.

'don't-'

I stepped through the bushes.

"So… you guys wanna tag along or…?"

Ruby sprang up to me with a big smile on her face. "You came back!"

"Gah!" I articulated my surprise eloquently.

This girl managed to trick me using crocodile tears. Something ain't right, that's not how that works. I don't get tricked with shit like that.

"Come on Weiss!" Ruby shouted back to her partner.

"What makes you think _he_ knows the way?" Weiss asked indignantly

"The all-knowing block of steel." I said, raising my pipboy. "It's got the coordinates for the temple. You coming or not?"

"… fine." Weiss trudged over to us, clearly not happy about the turn of events.

…

We were making good time to the temple. The two of them were following close behind me the whole way. It was definitely quieter than my initial romp in the forest had been. So far we hadn't been jumped by a bunch of wolves and bears.

"So… Six." Weiss said, clearly liking my name as much as she did myself.

"Yea?" I say, ducking beneath a low hanging branch.

"What were you doing in that tree?"

"Waiting for snooty rich girls to scare slash poke fun at."

"… Really?" Weiss asked in honesty

"… No, not really. Watch your head."

I moved aside a branch and let the two girls pass before following them.

"I was dropped into it by some bird." I continued, less sarcastically for my companions

"A bird?" Ruby asked

"Yea, some giant black bird with a bone mask, helmet, thing that grabbed me while I was in the middle of something."

"Bird… you mean a Nevermore?" Ruby asked

"… A what?"

"A Nevermore, you know, Grimm that look like birds."

"…Grimm?"

"… you do know what Grimm are, right?" Weiss cut in

Ozpin had told me that the point of this academy was to train people to fight monsters. He'd never called any of them by names though. Something he didn't have to tell me though was to keep my trap shut about being from another world. Things were going to be hard enough without people thinking I was a few bullets shy of a full clip. Damn shame that I didn't know jack about this world and was now starting to make an ass of myself.

"Oh yeah, totally…"

"Ok, then why did you let one grab you?" Weiss continued

"Well, I was pretty distracted. There was this forest fire and a bunch of wolves-"

"Forest fire?" Ruby asked, stepping over a log

"Yeah, some idiot probably lit it by accident. It'll probably have a good chunk of the forest removed by the time we're done."

Ruby and Weiss shared a look. Not sure why, but I wasn't in a prying mood.

"-Anyway, I was tumbling around in it and didn't notice when the- uh- Nevermore swooped in an nabbed me. It actually helped me more than anything."

I stopped and checked my pipboy. We were getting close. Couldn't check the map but I could tell we were getting there. I really needed to see if Ozpin had a microfilm map of the area.

"How much further?" Ruby asked

"Little further, probably just over the next hill."

I continued forward, following the compass.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, where's your partner Six?"

"Don't got one." I grumble, side stepping a puddle.

"What do you mean? You should've run into at least one person before you found us."

"Not if your intentionally avoiding everyone. Ozpin said you only get a partner if you make eye contact with someone. I don't want a partner, ergo I don't let other people see me."

"What about us?"

"You get a pass for being partnered already."

"Well you can't expect to make it without a partner." Weiss spoke up "Just because I'm stuck with this screw up doesn't mean I didn't want a partner"

"You don't even know me." Ruby mumbled

"Yeah, well I've made it this far on my own." I continued "Don't plan on getting tied down to a team either."

"I don't think you get a choice with that either." Ruby cut back in

"Watch me."

We passed through some shrubbery and found ourselves facing another clearing. Compared to the others I'd seen, this one was clearly artificial. People regularly took the time to make sure trees didn't spring up in this area. If I needed any more evidence, the large ruin at the opposite end was a pretty obvious indicator.

"Finally." Weiss groaned, pushing past me and Ruby

"Weiss, wait up!" Ruby said, tagging along behind her teammate

Ruby and Weiss left the safety of the shrubbery behind. It didn't take much to realize that these two didn't have a very good sense of caution, hypocritical of me as it is to say. But I at least knew better than to rush out of cover and into the open. There may not have been anyone trying to shoot us, but that doesn't mean it's safe. I waited a moment longer, just to make sure that I wasn't going to regret stepping out of cover.

'… Ok, seems-'

It the blink of an eye, a massive shadow fell over Ruby and Weiss. They realized this, turned to face it, and were snatched from the ground by a massive Nevermore.

'… not safe, definitely not safe.'

Having learned my lesson with the 10mm for the time being, I pulled my hunting rifle off my back and made sure there was a round in the chamber. In the distance I could hear the sound of shifting stone and could feel the earth rumbling beneath my feet.

'wonderful, back into the fray'

I brace myself and step out of the shrubs. Then a lot of things happened at once. I heard the sound of a 12.7 mm round followed by Ruby screaming. She was now free and falling from the sky. I bolted towards the falling girl, but before I could reach her, something else flew out of the forest and smacked into Ruby like a ragdoll mid-fall. They both disappeared into the nearby branches of another tree. Then there was a roaring from a different part of the forest almost directly behind me. I turned and watched as a Yao Guai the size of a fucking farm house knocked over trees as it stumbled out of the forest on its hind legs. I pulled my rifle to my shoulder and prepared to pump a round into it. Before I could there was a pink explosion behind it and it toppled over like a house of cards. That's when the girl with the orange hair, I think I called her motor mouth before, somersaulted on top of and over the crumbling corpse, laughing like she was having the time of her life. She stood and turned back to look at the yao guai.

"Aww. It's broken." She pouted before jumping back onto its head and staring down at it like an enamored ten year old.

Then kung-fu guy stumbled out of the woods from behind the bear. Clearly winded and trying to catch his breath.

"Nora-" He panted between breaths "-Don't ever do that again."

In the blink of an eye she was gone from the bear. Then I realized she was suddenly in front of me, trying to look at my eyes through the lenses of my mask. Her eyes were a pale blue and she had rosy cheeks.

"HI THERE!" She shouted merrily "Remember me? Of course not, we haven't met, but I remember you! You were in the bathroom this morning when me and Ren walked in and I thought your mask was really cool and it made you look _super_ mysterious and now you're wearing that cool armor and where did you get that rifle? It look ancient and probably has a bunch of cool stories and I bet you have a bunch of cool stories too, what's your name?-"

She spouted words like a runaway minigun. it seemed innocent enough but she was quickly invading my personal space. She definitely lived up to the name 'motor mouth'.

'Dear god, where's the off switch?'

I blinked again and she was gone. I quickly looked around trying to find the A.D.D. addled girl. I saw her at the temple a few yards away, staring at what I assume was one of the relics. I finally noticed Yang and Blake standing there as well. Nora then snatched the relic from the pedestal and held it high in the air. She then started dancing around with it.

"I'm queen of the castle!" she shouted happily.

"Nora!" Kung fu boy shouted, approaching from behind me and clearly aggravated by his companion's antics.

Nora immediately stopped dancing around and started back towards us. "Coming Ren!"

Kung fu boy sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"How… how do you put up with that?" I ask, trying not to come off as overly rude

"Patience." He groans "A _lot_ of patience."

"Buddy, there ain't enough patience in the world to-"

Then there was _another_ roar from the forest. Followed promptly by an explosion of trees and earth. I watched as the Legionnaire I'd seen in the locker room got chased from the forest by the largest radscorpion I'd ever seen. To give perspective, it made the X-42 roboscorpion I fought in the Big Empty look small. If I had to guess, this thing was probably poisonous too, given that its stinger was FUCKING GLOWING. I watched the legionnaire dip and dodge away from the creature as it made continual swipes at her.

"Oh fuck that." I say, turning and running towards the temple, officially tired of standing around and waiting for shit to pop out of the forest. Kung-fu boy followed suit.

I quickly closed the distance between me and the temple. As I did, Ruby popped out of the trees and landed next to Yang.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted happily in surprise

"Yang!" She returned, going in to hug her sister

"Nora!" Nora popped up between the two, interrupting the reunion.

"Watch out!" I shout, barreling past the small party and into the temple.

"Six?" Yang asked, slowly growing frustrated

"Jaune!" I heard the legionnaire shout in the distance

"Pyrrha!" I hear a familiar voice shout from the trees.

This continued on while I ran into the temple. In a large circle that ringed the ruin were stone pedestals, most were bequeathed with a chess piece. Others were empty. These must've been the 'relics' Ozpin had been referring to. There were two sets of colors and doubles of each piece, save for the pedestals that were empty.

'… ok, so he's using the pieces make the teams. That's pretty simple to work around.'

I examined all of the pieces present and found a set that still had doubles. A set of black pawns. I took them both and stuffed them into my coat. No teams for me, thank you very much.

"… did she run all the way here with a deathstalker on her tail?" I heard Blake ask as the Scorpion drew closer

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAGGHH!" Yang sreamed angrily, fire exploding into existence around her. "I can't take it anymore! Can everyone just chill for, like, two seconds before something else happens!?"

The group fell silent. Save for Kung-fu boy, who was now joining the group.

'one… two… ding.'

"Um… Yang?" Ruby said, trying to get her sister's attention. She motioned upward and everyone's attention was drawn to the Nevermore that was circling the area. If I had to guess, the white speck that was clinging to its talon was probably Weiss.

"How could you leave me up here!?" I could hear faintly in the distance

'yep, that's snowflake.'

"I said jump." Ruby offered to nobody in particular.

"She's gonna fall." Blake added dryly

"No she won't." Ruby said in false reassurance

"She's falling." Kung-fu boy stated

"Bye bye, snowflake." I added with a sarcastic wave.

Weiss fell quickly towards the ground, flailing wildly and making no attempts to slow her descent. She made my crash landing almost seem graceful by comparison. Then Jaune flung himself out of the trees and met her in mid-air. For a second, they seemed to just hang there. I couldn't hear what he said but I know for a fact he said something that would've made _Mr. NewVegas_ want to slap him. Then he seemed to realize they were still thirty feet in the air before they both plummeted towards the ground. Jaune hit the ground first, with Weiss landing daintily on top of him, looking no worse for wear. How these two just survived a drop like that with no injury? I do not know, but would very much like to learn.

"My hero." Weiss grumbled sarcastically

"… my back." Jaune grunted painfully

"Now's your chance lady-killer." I say sarcastically "Give her a peck on the cheek."

Jaune tilted his head to look at me. "… really?" He asked with some degree of hope hidden in the pain.

"… No, not really, get over here!"

Before the two of them got up however, the radscorpion, deathstalker, whatever let out a screeching noise. Next thing I know the legionnaire is lying on the ground as a crumpled heap next to us.

"Great, the gang's all here." Yang said with, at least I think, feigned enthusiasm "Now we can die together."

"Not if I can help." Ruby said with a cock-sure smile on her face.

She let out what I think was supposed to be an intimidating roar, it sounded more like a mewling kitten, and charged towards the rampaging scorpion.

"Ruby, wait!" Yang shouted

Ruby swung the red block of steel out from her back and it transformed into that massive scythe. She pointed it behind her and fired off a shot, using the momentum to catapult her forward at the scorpion. Who then proceeded to knock her back about fifteen feet with no effort.

"D-Don't worry!" Ruby shouted back "Totally fine!"

'Wow, never thought I'd meet someone who was as bad at lying as I was. Even worse she's probably only, what, fourteen?'

The scorpion approached Ruby as she stumbled to her feet. She turned and fired a round from her scythe. It sparked harmlessly off of the beast's boney carapace. I looked to the sky briefly, the Nevermore was flying back towards us now. Part of me wasn't sure what to do. But watching Ruby fight reminded me of the first trip I took with Veronica. She'd charge straight in and start punching things that attacked us. I had to save her ass more than once on that trip…

I looked briefly at the rest of the would-be hunters present. Still just standing there.

"You're all shitty back-up." I growl. I bolt from the temple, taking care not to accidently discharge my rifle as I run.

Ruby, despite clearly being outclassed, was still swinging her scythe. Trying in some vain attempt to hurt the beast. Unfortunately, the scorpion kept either knocking her back or taking pot shots at her with its stinger. She should be running away, instead she was determined to stay and fight.

I was about 20 yards away the next time she got knocked down. The scorpion wasted no time, it thrust its stinger at the downed girl. I leapt into VATs, I needed to act. This thing's shell was too tough, don't know if the strength varies for each creature but it shrugged off a 12.7mm round. My rifle fires .308, I'm not punching a hole in it. I needed to get creative. If the splatter from a 10mm was enough to wound the eye of a yao guai, this'll hurt a hell of a lot more.

I aimed carefully in VATs, I needed only one shot to prove my point. I lined the Iron sights up with the largest eye on the scorpion's right side. I squeezed the trigger and watched as the eye instantly exploded in a shower of blood and viscera. It worked too, the shock knocked the creature off target enough to miss Ruby entirely. She recovered and backpedaled towards me.

I left VATs and handled things normally. I put another round into the scorpion's largest right eye. It staggered, clearly not happen with the sudden decrease in vision.

"O-ok." Ruby said, trying to regain her composure. "We got this."

"No we don't." I say, feeling the receiver on my rifle beginning to gum up. I thought I'd cleaned it before I got stuck in this world. Guess that was something I'd have to take care of if we survived this.

I gripped one of the grenades on my chest and removed it. I pulled the pin and chucked it at the scorpion. It exploded, blowing off one of its smaller legs but otherwise leaving it unharmed.

'I really screwed the pooch on weapons.'

I grabbed Ruby by her hood and ran back towards the temple. The only reason I'd bothered coming out here was to grab her, not fight the barn sized insect. She struggled as I pulled her.

"Hey! Let me go! We can take that thing!" She shouted

"Shut up! You're literally going to get yourself killed!"

At that moment Nevermore had rejoined the party. I heard a screech as the bird hovered overhead. There was a high pitched whistling and thudding sound behind me and it was gaining. A torrent of humongous black feathers passed me, piercing into the ground. I was pulled to a stop when one of the feathers pierced Ruby's cape, pinning her in place

"Ruby!" Yang shouted, finally snapping out of whatever trance kept everyone from moving. She charged towards us, but was stopped by another volley of feathters.

I released Ruby's hood and she immediately went to trying to free her cape from the feather pinning it. I tried to rip the fabric, but it only stretched. I didn't have any clue what the cape was made from but I wasn't going to rip it free. So I turned my attention to the feather, I pushed and pulled on it, trying to pry it from the ground.

"Ruby! Get out of there." Yang shouted from the distance

"I'm trying!" she shouted back

"Try harder!" I shouted, straining against the feather. It wouldn't budge.

The sound of the scorpion's legs colliding with the ground stopped. It had reached us. I got a very good look at the two eyes I'd blown out. It made an angry hiss and quickly raised its tail. Though I was closer, it wasn't angling for me. It was angling for the target that couldn't run away. Ruby's eyes widened as the stinger shot towards her. I moved from the feather, putting myself between the stinger and Ruby. I wrapped my arms around her, closed my eyes, and prayed my armor was strong enough to stop Ruby from getting hurt.

There was a rush of wind an unsettling cracking noise. I braced for pain to set in. But nothing came.

"You are _so_ childish." Came a familiar snooty tone

I opened my eyes and released the girl. Turning back, I saw a wall of ice keeping the stinger less than an inch from where my back had been. About five feet away, Weiss was knelt with her sword plunged into the dirt, the ice seeming to grow out from it.

'W-what the- how!?'

"And dimwitted-" Weiss continued, turning to face Ruby "-and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style."

"H-how did you-" I stammered still trying to comprehend the wall of ice

""And I suppose I can be a bit…" Weiss continued, ignoring my slow break down at the ice. "… difficult, but if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do this together."

"Ice- wall- what!?"

"So, _if_ you quit trying to show off, I'll be… nicer."

"I'm not trying to show off." Ruby answered "I want you to know I can do this-"

"Where the hell did all this ice come from!?" I shout, finally grabbing Weiss's attention.

"Oh, right, _you_." She got up in my face "What were you thinking!?"

I finally dropped the subject of ice, knowing I wasn't going to get an answer for the time being.

"Me? I was thinking 'Gee, this little idiot is going to get herself killed. Maybe I should do something about that.'"

"You almost got killed yourself!"

"Well I still acted before she nearly got turned into a pin cushion."

"Whoa!" I heard Ruby gasp as she moved around the side of the ice wall. I followed her a bit, ignoring Weiss's indignant chatter, and saw the scorpion struggling to break free.

"Shit, that thing's still alive!?"

"Watch your language!" Weiss said

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I offend your virgin ears? I was just surprised by the GIANT SCORPION!"

"Ruby!" Yang shouted, finally having found her way around the column of feathers. She ran straight up to Ruby and crushed her in a hug. "I'm so happy you're okay!"

"Me too." Ruby squeaked as her sister squeezed her for a little longer. When she was finally released, she turned and looked at me. "Thanks for, uh, coming and helping me, Six."

"Don't mention it." I say, fiddling with the bolt of my rifle. Trying to guess how many shots I can get before it starts jamming. "… If I'd waited on someone else to do it, they'd probably screw it up." I add sarcastically.

"Nice to know my sister's safety means so much to you." Yang said with a cocky smile.

"Hey, everybody gets _one_." I say, raising my hands innocently. "Besides, it's not like anyone else was chomping at the bit to fight that thing."

"That's because no one else was stupid enough to try." Weiss said

"Hey!" Ruby pouted

"Gotta agree with Snowflake here, Ruby." I say with a shrug. "That _was_ pretty dumb."

The demonic cawing of the nevermore broke our conversation. I could see it preparing to circle back in the distance. We raced back to the Temple as the bird began to turn

"Guys!" Jaune shouted "That thing is coming back around!"

"No kidding?" I ask sarcastically "I thought it was gonna leave us alone."

"What're we gonna do?"

"No sense in wasting time." Weiss cut in, motioning to the 'relics' "Our objective is right here."

I quickly flipped through my pip-boy, just to double check. "She's right, our job was to collect the relics and return to cliff. Not waste time two-stepping with a couple over grown bugs and birds."

"There's no point in fighting." Ruby surmised

"… so run and live then?"

"Damn skippy."

Jaune nodded happily in agreement. He and Ruby quickly went into the temple and grabbed a piece from the pedestals. The Scorpion began to make hissing noises loud enough that we could hear it even from the distance we were at. I saw the ice began to shift and readied my compass to point us back to the cliffs.

"Time we left." Kung-fu boy said.

"Right, Six?" Ruby asked

I pointed off in a direction of the woods. "Got it, ready?"

She gave me a nod.

"Good. All right everybody, keep close and don't fall behind! We're hauling ass outta here, let's go!"

I slid my hunting rifle back into its holster and ran from the temple. I charged up a hill I didn't bother to look back. I trusted they were either going to follow or find their own way back. I passed the boundary of the trees and leapt over a log. The compass pointed dead ahead and I was intent to follow it. It was only after I rounded a bend that I noticed a red and bronze tint in the corner of my vision. A cursory glance revealed that the legionnaire was keeping pace with me. Every step I took she effortlessly duplicated. I might not want to shoot her anymore, but I wasn't about to be out done by her either. I moved a little faster and yet she kept with me. Needless to say, this was a little annoying.

'aight, that how you wanna play? Let's play.'

I took the lead out and started running full speed. When it comes to Agility, I'm a goddamned Acrobatic Marvel. I'm not about to be out done by a legion wanna-be.

…

We burst from the forest and into the ruins at the base of the cliff. To my surprise, Everyone managed to keep up well enough. We were also just ahead of the Nevermore. If we could climb the cliff we'd be in the clear, technically speaking.

"Just a bit further!" I shouted, aiming for the stone bridge in front of us.

"It's Gaining on us!" Jaune shouted from his place behind me

"We're almost there! You just gotta-"

I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard it. A low, bellowing note that always signaled I was about to have a bad day. The others closed the distance behind me, either not hearing the noise or not recognizing it. They all came to a stop beside me, confused.

"Six, what's wrong?" Ruby asked

"We're about to have a very bad time." I say as calmly as I can, pulling my hunting rifle back out. "We are about to have a very, _very,_ bad time."

I slowly started backing away from the bridge, scanning the cliff side in front of me for the source of the noise.

"Look, the exit's right there." Jaune said, trying to reassure either himself or everyone else. "We just gotta cross the bridge."

He went to walk past me and I grabbed him by the back of his armor, pulling him back into the crowd. He stumbled and landed on his butt.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Quiet!" I hissed

"The Nevermore is getting closer Six!" Ruby insisted

The bellowing echoed again. They didn't seem to notice it again, but I heard it load and clear. It was getting closer and I still didn't know where it was coming from. The demonic cawing the nevermore was growing closer.

"We have to go!" Weiss said, pushing past me. The rest of the group soon followed, but I remained frozen in my spot.

The bellowing sounded once more. I finally realized where it was coming from.

"Stop! Don't go near the bridge!"

Too late. The circular stone anchor in front of the bridge burst open. A massive clawed hand punching through it and slamming against the ground, pulling an equally massive creature from beneath the stone. Its skin was black as pitch, though you'd never guess due it being completely covered in plates of bone armor. It had a pair of horns that curved off either side of its head, bowing out into a points. Red lines traced its armor, flowing messily down it limbs and back along a massive tail. It's jaw was filled with razor sharp teeth, all guarded by a segment of bone that lined its jaw and rose to several large points itself. Its eyes glowed bright, seeming to pierce through the hunters that stood in front of it. Powerful legs carried it from its underground home, as though the armor that clad it weighed nothing. At its peak, it was larger than any other of its kind I'd seen.

This was the largest deathclaw I'd ever seen.

Everyone took a step back as the beast let out a ferocious roar. I could feel the wind as made its rage clear.

"Everyone get back!" I shouted, ripping another of my grenades from my belt. I pulled the pin and lobbed it as hard as I could. It sailed over the small crowd and landed at the feet of the deathclaw. The grenade exploded between its legs and the monster roared. The grenade did nothing.

Having failed to heed my, admittedly late, warning the crowd was slow to react. The deathclaw charged them, moving with its infamous speed and agility. With a swipe of its massive claws Jaune went flying. How he avoided being shredded is beyond me, but he was sent flying into a pillar a good distance from the bridge. Another swipe launched Weiss to my feet. Only then did the crowd react appropriately, trying to put distance between themselves and the rampaging monster.

Except for Yang and Nora, who proceeded to try and take the beast head on.

"What is this thing!?" Ruby asked, quickly following me as I tried to line up a shot.

"Haven't you ever seen a Deathclaw before?" I ask, loosing a shot at the aforementioned creature's leg

"A what!?"

'I'll take that as a no.'

My bullet collided with the creature's armored leg. A few small spark deflected off of it as the bullet impacted. No visible damage was done. I silently cursed as I chambered another round.

"Aim for its legs." I tell Ruby "The only thing worse than a Deathclaw is one that can ran at you full speed."

Ruby didn't seem to understand but did as I told. She whipped out her rifle and started flinging rounds at the Deathclaw's legs. From their closer location, I watched as Yang and Nora did battle with the monster. Nora had taken out a friggin' grenade launcher and was trying to blow the damn thing up. Yang, in what I can only call a bout of insanity, was trying to _punch_ the thing into submission. Granted it looked as though she was using some sort of ballistic fist, but the point still stands that this girl was trying to box the thing to death.

But it wasn't working. Everything we sent at the deathclaw just seemed to make it even madder. It was swinging and charging like a frenzied bull. It focused itself on Yang and charged her down. Trapping her between its horns, it ran her back from the bridge and towards us. I rolled out of the way as it barreled past me and slammed Yang into a pillar. I could hear the stone work shift from the impact.

I took another shot, aiming for the nape of the deathclaw's neck. The bullet collided into another shower of sparks.

'what's the only thing worse than a deathclaw?' I thought bitterly 'An armored one.'

The deathclaw pulled back to ram into Yang again. Barely recovering in time, she dipped out of the way as the monster head butted the pillar again.

"Guys!" Jaune shouted "We've got company!"

The demonic caw of the Nevermore echoed over head as the massive bird raced past renus. I turned to the sound of splintering wood as the Deathstalker burst from the forest. Blake and kung-fu boy had taken to attack the scorpion, while Weiss and Legion had taken the opportunity to collect themselves.

"Run!" Legion shouted

I was in a position to agree with her, the inclusion of an armor clad death claw officially made this situation untenable. Everyone who could began sprinting towards the bridge, myself included. The only ones who'd stop were Kung-fu boy and Legion to lay down suppressing fire. For the little good it did anyway.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted

I turned my attention back towards the yellow huntress. Despite everyone else trying to beat feet, she was still going toe to toe with the deathclaw. She was starting to lose. It was pushing her back. She was handling herself well, very few people can claim they beat a deathclaw to death with their bare hands. But it was becoming increasingly clear that if she was going to be one of them, it wasn't going to be today. The deathclaw was smacking her around and trying to give her no chance to escape. She was fighting admirably, I could actually see the armor on the deathclaw's skin shuddering. But it was trying to back her into a corner. It was backing her towards the cliff. She didn't seem to realize it, she was too engrossed with just trying to avoid the hits it was sending at her. They were probably ten feet from the edge when I moved.

My feet pounded against the ground as I closed the distance between me and the huntress. I didn't know what I was doing, my feet moved before I'd actually though up a plan. What was I supposed to do? What could I do?

Five feet from the edge, the death claw bent down and charged at Yang. The huntress cocked her arm back, fully intending to punch the deathclaw in the head as it charged her down.

She never got the chance.

I closed the distance remaining in a single bound. I slammed into her side with a shoulder check, tackling her out of the way.

"Run you idiot!" I shouted a moment before the deathclaw collided with me.

It felt like I was hit by a truck. I don't know if the deathclaw had planned to stop before going over the edge. If it did, then it screwed that part of its plan up royally. I grabbed it by the horns and braced as we both went flying over the edge of the cliff and into the mist below.

…

I grappled the deathclaw in mid-air. Even as we were plummeting towards the ground the thing was still trying to take a bite out of me. The wind roared in my ear as we tumbled helplessly though the air. I couldn't see the bottom of the ravine we were falling into, so I had no way of knowing when we were going to hit. All I could do was grapple with the beast and hope I wasn't the one to hit the ground first.

The deathclaw snapped its jaws at me, trying to tear out my chest. It crashed its arms against whatever part of me it could aim at. It wanted to make sure that if It was going to die, I would go before it.

'Not happening.'

I locked my legs around its neck and flipped myself onto its back. The beast flailed wildly as I planted myself there and grabbed it by the horns. I twisted and jerked its head, struggling to keep it beneath me as we fell. I punched it in the spine and it was momentarily stunned. Just long enough for me to brace for impact.

The ground came out of nowhere and we hit it hard. The deathclaw cushioned my landing but It still sent me sprawling. It had been worse than my landing in the forest not more than a few hours ago. It probably doesn't help we hit solid rock rather than dirt. My entire body felt like it'd been put through the ringer and I wanted to just lie down and rest. My guess? I was back down to fifteen percent again. Hadn't taken much, just another fall from a cliff.

'I swear, if I'm going to just keep falling off of shit, I'm just gonna start avoiding high places.'

I forced myself to my feet and looked back at the deathclaw. It laid against the cold stone ground. Its tongue was flopped out of its mouth and its eyes were shut. I knew better than to hope it was dead though. I hobbled away from the monster. I'd dropped my rifle in the free-fall. It'd smashed against the floor of the ravine. I found it a few feet from my landing spot. The barrel and mechanics looked functional, but the stock was completely shattered. I could probably chance using it again, but there was no way I was making any precise shots with it until I fixed it. I slid the shattered rifle back into my coat and turned my attention to above me. I could hear explosions and gunfire. Things probably weren't going to any better for Ruby and her friends right now.

The sound of a soft growling drew my attention back to the area around me. I was right, the deathclaw wasn't dead. Its eyes snapped open and it bellowed again. It struggled to rise to its feet. Its hind legs stayed limp behind it.

'looks like the fall did something at least'

I gritted my teeth and pulled out my 10mm pistol. The Deathclaw was crippled, but it was still alive but that didn't mean I was safe. I was right too, unlike any other deathclaw I'd ever seen this one started dragging itself forward with its arms. It wasn't anywhere near as fast as when it could run. But it was no slouch. It bounded towards me, armor cracked and scraping against the stones.

I strafed to the left, shooting at the cracks in its armor. Hoping that if I kept hammering them they'd break and I could actually kill the thing. But I could only run so fast while trying to aim. The beast got close and took a swipe that sent me sprawling back. I landed on my back, dazed with a ringing in my ears. I tried to focus, lifting myself up enough to shoot at the deathclaw as it continued its assault. But I couldn't aim, my bullets kept bouncing off its armor, I couldn't hit the cracks when the deathclaw was bearing down on me and I was seeing double. The Deathclaw lunged and I rolled lamely to the side. It made another swipe for me and barely connected. I felt its claws rake across the front of my armor and watched as a thin line traced over one of the lenses on my gas mask. I staggered to my feet and took another shot before the slide locked back on my pistol. I'd emptied the clip.

I pressed the release lever and snapped the clip out of my pistol, vigorously jamming another in as the Deathclaw prepared for another lunge. It stopped when the sound of breaking stone sounded from above us. The stone bridge collapsed above us, its massive pieces rained down on us. I dove out of the way again, but I couldn't move fast enough. One of the massive stone supports fell on my left leg. I heard a very unsettling crunch and was racked with pain. I let out an agonized howl.

'That's broken, that's definitely broken.'

The deathclaw continued to claw its way out of the rubble. Shrugging off the several ton bridge like it was nothing.

'Are you fucking kidding me!? Come on!'

I pushed myself up again and began to hobble as fast as my one leg could carry me. Cursing every time my broken leg had any weight put on it. I could hear the deathclaw closing in. I wasn't running away this time. I literally felt like I was about to die if the breeze hit me the wrong way and the thing chasing me survived everything that was thrown at it. That armor stopped everything I threw at it. It shrugged off everything. If I wanted to live, I needed to get past it. But how? Every part of it was covered up tight… except for its mouth.

An idea began to form in my head as I hobbled, I could hear the deathclaw behind me. Getting closer with each second. I was out of options and this was a very bad plan. But it was do or die time. If I died, I'd at least be known as the only dumbass wastelander to try something this stupid. I pulled my last grenade from my belt and ripped the pin out. I clasped the safety lever down and turned to stare death in the face. It lunged me without a second's hesitation. It knocked me on my back and tore into my left shoulder. My armor was beginning to crumple underneath its teeth, I could feel a warm liquid trickling down my arm.

"Hey asshole!" I growl through gritted teeth "Before digging in how about you try some finger food!"

I Jam my knee into the deathclaw's throat and it releases my shoulder and rears back slightly. Just enough for me to ram my left arm into its mouth. I slither my fist to the top of its throat and release my grenade. I whip my arm back and scramble away from my dazed opponent. I only get a few feet away before the grenade goes off. I feel a shower of bone and flesh splatter against my back.

I turn back over and stare down my enemy. Their jaw having been blown messily from their head in conjunction with a large section of their throat. Black blood oozed from the grievously fatal wound.

I paused for a tense moment as the creature remained frozen in place. It didn't fall or move to attack me again, it just stood rigidly on its arms. That wasn't good enough for me.

I aimed my pistol and pumped the whole clip into its exposed throat. A shower of blood flowed out. The creature made a shuddering downward movement as my clip ran dry, but still it stood.

"FUCKING DIE ALREADY!"

I whip out my utterly wrecked hunting rifle and jam the barrel into its throat. I yank the trigger and a .308 round bursts out the back of its neck in a mess of blood and bone. The deathclaw finally collapses.

I lay back against the ground, gasping for air as the adrenaline in my blood begins to fade. Everything hurt and I really just wanted to take a nap. Of course, that was before I had to dodge the giant decapitated bird corpse that was now falling into the ravine.

…

Dodging the limp bird was easy enough, it was finding my way back out of the Ravine that took longer. The place was misty and it was hard hobbling around on the loose gravel with a broken leg. I eventually found an old carved stone stair case that worked its way up the side of the cliff. Assuming there'd been a river here at one point, maybe the people that used to occupy this ruin used these stairs to reach it. My sun healing didn't kick in until I was about half way up the cliff and out of the mist. By the time I reached the top of the stairs my leg was still tender but I could at least walk more easily.

My 'companions' had all but disappeared. I could just barely make out people standing at the top of the cliff we'd been launched from at the start of this whole debacle. It took a few minutes to find bridge to the other side that hadn't been completely wrecked, from there I just followed a path that wound its way up the cliff. I came out of a small forest to the left of where we'd been launched from. I found my 'companions' by the Cliffside, looking down at the ravine. Ozpin and Goodwitch were standing a few feet behind them, looking solemn.

"-Never forget that this is the path you've chosen." I heard Ozpin say as I approached. "Hard as it may be, sacrifice is now a part of your lives."

I stumbled towards my companions by the Cliffside. Curious why they were all standing so close to the edge. As I came close, Ozpin and Goodwitch took notice of me. They both looked like they'd seen a ghost when they locked eyes with my gas mask. I looked Goodwitch dead in the face from my distant standing

'I don't care when it happens or how, one day I will get my revenge on you for what you did today.'

I turned back to face my companions, still facing off the cliff and joined them in their forlorn vigil into the abyss.

"… So did somebody fall off?" I ask, breaking the silence "- 'cause if they did, we should consider putting some guard rails here or something."

I turned to look at everyone for an answer and was met by wide eyes and slack jaws. Everyone stared at me in surprise. Most of them had a look of incredulity, I noticed Nora had one of awe.

"…Six?" Ruby asked, stepping out of the crowd. Her eyes looked a little red and puffy. "Y-you're alive?"

"'course I'm alive!" I say in my best attempt to sound jovial "Don't need to act so surprised."

"B-but you went over the cliff… with that thing!"

"Thing? You mean the Deathclaw?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, don't worry, I took care of it." I tried to convey a smile through my helmet.

Ruby blinked twice and looked me over. Clearly surveying the damage I took. The claw marks across my chest and mask, the huge bite mark on my shoulder, my slightly messed up leg, and the huge blood stain that ran down my left sleeve.

"How?" Nora asked excitedly from her position in the crowd.

"Ah, well…" I rubbed the mark on my shoulder. "I guess he just bit off more than he could chew."

Silence filled the air. I waited for my terrible joke to settle over everyone.

"... he heh heh" I saw Yang snickering. It was growing into a pretty good laugh.

"What about you guys?" I ask, a smile on my face.

"We, uh… we took care of it." Ruby motioned over to the decapitated head of the Nevermore.

"Damn, looks like someone got a little ahead of themselves."

I could tell everyone was slowly starting to get a little irked by my bad jokes. Except Yang, who was still cackling with laughter. I looked back down the cliff at the ruins, taking notice of the scorpion, with its stinger now embedded into its head.

"Gotta say though, you guys sure did a number on that thing while I wasn't around."

"Yeah." Yang chuckled "It was a bit of a sting operation."

She started howling at her own joke while everyone else just rolled their eyes.

"…*snrk*" I chuckled a little "That's *snrk* not funny."

…

Things moved pretty quickly after that. We were lead back to the academy and given a short period to clean ourselves up. By that time, most of my wounds had healed and was at least not going to keel over if the wind blew me over. I took the chance to clean the blood, mud, and any other muck that got on me off. After that I slid back into my parkstroller outfit and got to work on patching my armor. My rifle was wrecked, I was gonna need a bunch of resources and a few hours to fix it properly, so I saved that for later. For the time being I knock the dings out of my armor and kept it from coming undone. Once I did that, I sequestered myself some place I wouldn't be bothered and removed my helmet. The damage was mostly superficial, nothing a bit of polish and elbow grease wouldn't take out.

By the time I was finished, we were all called to an auditorium. All of the people who'd partnered up and formed teams were assembled towards the front of the room. I could make out the figures of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang from my position on the back wall. I doubted they could see me against the sea of silhouettes and darkness. But that was fine, I wasn't looking to call attention to myself anyway.

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Skye Lark" Ozpin said from his position on the stage. With him were four young men of varying sizes. "-The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team cardinal."

The four boys' faces appeared on a large overhead screen, underscored by the letters CDRL.

"Lead by: Cardin Winchester." Ozpin finished

The four boys nodded and walked off the stage as another set of four students took the stage. I recognized Jaune, Legion, Nora, and Kung-fu boy.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, and Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward you shall work together as team Juniper.

Similar to the last group, their pictures appeared on the screen underscored by the letters JNPR.

Nora hopped on one leg and latched onto Kung-fu boy, guess I should call him Ren now.

"Lead by: Jaune Arc." Ozpin stated.

A large smile flashed onto Legio- I mean Pyrrha's face. Jaune looked around confused. I would too, I wouldn't peg him for the leader type.

'Meh, I'll give it time. See how it turns out.'

Pyrrha playfully punched Jaune in the arm and sent him sprawling to the floor. A sprinkling of laughter stretched across the atrium.

'Probably won't take too long.'

The newly formed team left the stage and Ruby's small group took it.

"And finally, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long."

'Xiao Long? Sounds Chinese… maybe the Chinese are still here somewhere.'

"The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces, from this day forward you will work together as team Ruby."

I looked at the screen as the letters scrolled across them, RWBY.

'huh, that's a little ironic.'

"lead by Ruby Rose."

'… scratch that, this was completely deliberate.'

Ruby did her best to contain her shock and excitement while Weiss looked at her in shock. Yang ran right up to her younger sibling and wrapped her in a bear hug.

"Looks as though things are shaping up to be an interesting year." Ozpin finished with a smile. Goodwitch strode up next to him on the stage. "This concludes today's ceremonies, please return to your dorms and prepare for tomorrow. Classes will commence at 9AM tomorrow."

People began to file out of the auditorium. Most of the newly formed teams were busy conversing. I could see Nora bouncing around Ren like a coked out Bloatfly. Most of team RWBY looked to be celebrating the way things turned out. Which was good enough for me. After all, I did my bit and managed to dodge the bullets that got sent my way.

"Mr. Six" came a stern voice from beside me. I turned and saw miss strippe- I mean Goodwitch standing there. "I must ask you to follow me for a moment."

"… Aight." I had an idea of what this was about and figured I should get it out of the way.

Ms. Goodwitch lead me down a series of vacant hallways and up to an elevator. We climbed in and rode it all the way to the top. We arrived at the top floor of the tower. The doors to the elevator slid open and revealed an office space that probably would've made Mr. House jealous. The place was immaculate, with collumns of dark stone supporting the roof, tinted windows dying the room a green with light of the setting sun, and cogs and gears of varying sizes whirring and clicking around the room like the inside of a massive clock.

"Enjoying the scenery?" Ozpin asked from his desk, having noticed how distracted I was.

"Gotta say, never seen anything quite like this in my travels." I say with a shrug.

"Oh? I'll take that as a compliment then."

"You best, but I doubt you brought me here to talk about home decorating."

"Indeed." Ozpin motioned towards a seat in front of his desk. I went and took it.

"So, may I ask why you wanted to speak with me? Or would you prefer to tell me?"

"Hmm, which ever you prefer." Ozpin took a sip from his mug of coffee.

"Ok, why am I here?"

"I wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened during the initiation today."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, nothing too complicated I assume?"

"Not at all." I say, slightly surprised. I'd been expecting something else. "Ask away."

"Very well. When you were attacked this afternoon, an unknown form of Grimm assaulted the other initiates. From what I've gathered, you have some familiarity with it."

"Familiarity is relative. That thing looked like one of the creatures from my world."

"Oh?" Ozpin looked intrigued by this

"Yes, but so did a few of the other… what did you call them? Grimm?"

"Ah! Yes, I forgot you don't know much about this world."

"… No kidding? Wanna fill me in?"

"Mmm, no. I believe letting you discover this world on your own terms will help you grow accustomed to it."

"…"

I wanted to reach across the desk and smack Ozpin. Grow accustomed? I was only sticking around until I found a way home. I'm not making a home here. The sooner I got away from this crazy twin mooned planet the better.

"You were saying?" Ozpin prompted me to continue.

I sighed and continued. "The 'Grimm' as you put it, looked similar to a creature from my world. One known as a Deathclaw."

"That's certainly an ominous name." Ozpin chuckled

"Nothing ominous about it. They're several hundred pounds of irradiated death and claws that can strip a person to the bone in a matter of seconds."

"…" Ozpin stared silently for a moment. "That does sound deadly."

"No kidding?" I ask sarcastically

"So, would you say that these creatures are 'feared' where you're from?"

"… You're pulling my leg right? What part of 'strip you to the bone in seconds' isn't fear inducing?"

"Point taken."

"So what's this about exactly? All this fear talk?"

"Everything, mister six." Ozpin rose from his seat and went to stare out a nearby window. "The Grimm are creatures are beings that are drawn to negative emotions. Hatred, Jealousy, Sadness-"

"Fear." I surmised for him

"Indeed. They are drawn to it and will destroy any living creature they find. They are pure engines of destruction."

"This connects to me… how?"

"Until today, it has been hard to identify where the various form of Grimm spawn from. Most of what we have learned is speculative at best. But with your appearance in this world, a new Grimm with a resemblance to a beast only people from your world are familiar with appears in the midst of initiation. One that very nearly killed _you_."

"So you brought me up here because you wanted to confirm a theory?"

"Yes, a possible explanation for what brings the Grimm into existence. You may very well help us in ways you were not anticipating."

I nod thoughtfully at this. Maybe my presence could do some good if this world had problems an outsider could help with. "Well." I put my hands on my knees and rise from my chair. "Glad I could help, but if you don't mind I have things I need to do."

"Such as?"

"Do some shopping, get cleaned up, things of that nature. It helps that I don't have to spend all this time getting to know people."

"Oh? That's one way to give the cold shoulder to your teammates."

I scoffed as I headed towards the elevator. "That implies I actually have any."

Ozpin chuckled. "Tell me Mr. Six, did you find it odd that I didn't call up any pawn teams?"

My pointer finger hovered over the call button for the elevator. I stopped and considered his words for a moment. I'd watched the ceremony from the beginning and didn't recall seeing any pawn teams despite the use of black and white pieces.

"… perhaps."

"That's because there are no pawn teams." Goodwitch finished.

"Correct." Ozpin continued "The relics you chose were added in addition to the pre-chosen pieces."

I took a step back from the elevator and looked at the man staring out the window. "You were planning on me not playing along?"

"Indeed."

"… Bullshit." Goodwitch shot me a glare for language "What would you have done if another team chose the pawns, or if I partnered with someone?"

"If you'd partnered with someone you'd go through the normal process and the extra initiates would have been paired with other students. As for if someone else chose the pawns… well…" Ozpin turned back and gave me a coy smile. "I'm the head master, do really think specific chess pieces would have derailed anything?"

'… son of a bitch planned this shit. Damn.'

"So?" I ask, not entirely sure where that left me. "I didn't partner up with anyone and last I checked you can't force that."

"True. But that doesn't stop me from placing you on a team and, as I noticed, you had a certain affinity for one team in particular."

I got a sinking feeling in my gut. "No… you wouldn't."

…

I stood stiffly in the doorway of the dorm room. The four girls seated on their beds and staring at me as Ms. Goodwitch stood beside me, explaining.

"-Due to a miscalculation, Mr. Six was left without a team. While we work to remedy this, he will be made a secondary member of your team. As such he is under the command and care of your team's leader."

'Please, no, I've suffered enough.'

"You are to treat him as a comrade, as he is to treat you. If there are no questions, I shall take my leave."

Each of the girls responded with their own level of enthusiasm. None of it vocal. Ruby's eyes went wide and started sparkling while she got this big grin on her face. Weiss looked ever so slightly pissed at my return, and just sort of scowled at me. Blake didn't really have a reaction, she just kept up this cool look like it didn't bother her, but I did notice her bow seemed to droop slightly. Yang… Yang got this big smirk on her face and gave me a look I wasn't entirely comfortable with.

"… Very well, I wish you all a good evening." Goodwitch nodded and began to walk away. I turned to try and stop her, before noticing that smirk from the initiation had returned to her face.

'She's enjoying this! That fucking bitch is enjoying my suffering!'

Before I could continue trying to escape, Ruby clamped onto my arm and pulled me into the room.

"Welcome to team RWBY, Six!" She said with a big saccharine smile

'Graham help me.'

* * *

 **A/N: This was a lot sooner than I'd expected. Normally I'm content to just crank out one of these a month. Yet this makes three... must be christmas. Anyway, as usual, I appreciate all feedback and constructive criticism, I like to know what I'm doing right and what I can do better. I also get a kick out of some of the reviews.**

 **-Ash**


	4. Faith in the Leader

I've only got a few memories about Mojave outpost. Some of that ridiculous statue they put in the middle of the road, others of how utterly screwed the place was. Looking back, the whole thing was a house of cards waiting on the right breeze to knock it down. Ranger Jackson did everything he could to keep the place running. But there's only so much you can do when your commander is busy giving the shaft to everyone else. You think Oliver would have cared more about the most direct path into the NCR. Instead he left five soldiers there and told them to close the road. If a legion hit squad had rolled through they could've had a direct line to the heart of the NCR. Honestly, it was a mess.

The only place I can imagine being worse off were Camp Forlorn Hope. Which was literally being given the shaft by Oliver and Caesar.

I'd been to the Mojave outpost just a bit earlier that day. This was early in my journey, I'd recovered from my brush with the reaper maybe a week before this. I'd gone to the outpost chasing my man in the checkered suit. When I got there I'd found nothing, should've figured he wouldn't go near the outpost since he was traveling with the Khans. But there was this sniper by the name of Ghost. She'd seen something down the road at this small town by the name of Nipton. While she and the rest of the stationed troopers, Jackson included, weren't fond of the town; Ghost couldn't shake the feeling something terribly wrong had gone down. Especially given the amount of smoke that was billowing out of it. She hired me to go take a look. It was an easy enough job, especially compared to the last one I had: run over, see what happened, come back, and get paid. Probably the easiest caps I was going to make.

Except it wasn't, of course.

I got to Nipton and had my first encounter with the legion. One thing I know for sure, they sure know how to make a first impression.

I headed back to ghost and told her what I found. She then promptly gipped me on payment and went to tell Jackson. I wasn't in any mood to chase her for caps. So I went down to the outpost's cantina and took a seat at the bar. The bartender, some lady by the name of Lacey, walked up to me.

"You look like you've had a bad day." She said, cleaning a glass

"You don't know the half of it." I say fumbling through one of the pockets of my armor

At this time, I hadn't really come across much in the way of armor. All I really had was what Doc Mitchel gave me when I woke up. It was a set of beat up leather armor, now probably looking about ready to fall apart after today's events. I also had a storm chaser hat and bandana obscuring most of my face. If Mr. checkered-suit figured out I was still alive, last thing I needed was for him to send people looking.

I pulled a silver coin from my pocket. "What'll this get me?"

Lacey looked down at the coin, then began to eye me cautiously. "Nothing here."

"tsk. Really?"

"Sorry, we don't accept legion coin here."

I picked the coin back up and looked at it. It weighed about an ounce and was probably as close to being fully silver as you could get in the wasteland. I got that the legion wasn't exactly welcome, but was the NCR really gonna turn down precious metals?

I slid the coin back into my pocket and reached into a different pouch. I pulled out a couple of 9mm rounds and set them on the counter. "What about this?"

Lacey looked over the bullets. "… probably enough there for a shot of something strong."

"Good, whisky, please."

Lacey reached beneath the counter and pulled out a shot glass. She grabbed a bottle of amber liquid from behind her and poured the glass full. She walked off and left me alone with my glass. I sat staring into the liquid for a minute, letting the events of the day wash over me before I took my drink.

"You look like something a Gecko shit out." I hear a voice say from my right.

I look and there's this woman sitting on the stool a little ways down from me. She's polished off three bottles of whisky and working on a fourth. She's got auburn hair, dull blue eyes, and a couple light colored freckles ringing her tanned face. She's dressed in a pink checkered shirt, straw hat, stitched up jeans, and a brown leather jacket that's probably seen better days. From the look of her, she's probably had a rough few days herself.

"You don't look too hot yourself, princess." I grumble back

She scoffed. "I got jumped by raiders, what's your excuse?"

"Gun fight with the legion over by Nipton."

She looked me over. My Armor was in tatters, I was covered in cuts and bite marks, and I looked like I'd been shot a few times.

"Nipton? They're that far west?"

" _Were_ that far west." I correct.

"Heh, yeah right. like you-"

I pulled out the coyote skin helmet I took from the leader of legionnaires I fought. I put it on the counter and slid it over to the woman.

"… Shit, you're serious?"

"Yup. We had a disagreement on matters."

"Over what, exactly?"

"Well… he wanted me to run around proclaiming 'The legion is mighty! Fear me! blah, blah, blah.' And I wasn't happy with how he ran the town. So I blasted him in the face with my shotgun."

I motioned to the double barreled 20ga that was slung on my back.

"… You realize you've probably painted a target on your back now, right?"

"Eh, probably, but I've already got one on my head, so what's the difference?"

The woman looked at me for a moment in silence, then chuckled. "You're something strange, you know that?"

"Only a little." I agree with a chuckle. "… I'm Courier Six."

I raised my shot glass towards her. She smirked and raised her glass as well. "Cass."

Our glasses met and we downed our drinks. I could feel the alcohol burning my throat as a dull chiming reached my ears.

…

A muted beeping chimed from my pipboy, rousing me from my slumber. My eyes crept open to the dim light of my temporary home. The air was warm and stuffy, closest I could get to the Mojave in this building. Shame that it wound up being a Janitor's closet. My current roommate was a water boiler that kicked on every hour or so to provide the residents a warm shower. I'd commandeered the room after getting chained to Ruby's team. I may be stuck with them, but I know better than to share a room with four adolescent girls.

I rose and sat stiffly on the edge of my cot. It was made of stiff canvas and bits of light weight metal. This was the closest we could find to a bed for me on short notice. I clicked the light of my pipboy on and checked the time. 7:00 AM, still had a little while before classes started. I stood and stretched, getting a nice cacophony of pops from my various joints. Not much had really happened after Goodwitch dumped me with them. I avoided any meaningful conversation and collected my uniform from some office elsewhere on the school's grounds. Ozpin had at least been generous enough to lend me the cot until I found better arrangements. I was going to have to go out at some point in the near future and explore vale. I needed to find supplies and what not. That'd been the plan last night, then I got dropped with RWBY and things just spiraled from there.

I reached into a box of stuff I'd grabbed from my locker and pulled out a hot plate. One of the things I'd decided to do last night was keep some of my stuff in my room so I wouldn't have to run back and forth to my locker every time I wanted something. I plugged the hotplate in and reached back into my box for a small skillet and some ingredients. Bit of blood sausage, pinch of sautéed jalapeno, some pan fried maize, and the requisite insta-mash make me a nice and hearty breakfast. Of course it is also slightly irradiated, but it's not like I'm serving this to anyone else. I don't mind a few ticks from my pipboy, honestly I've drunk enough irradiated water and eaten enough old world food to practically have a lead belly. The only thing that would've made this better was a cup of coffee, but I don't have any beans on hand.

I slid my mask back slightly, grabbed a fork, and dug in. Maybe the food wasn't up to this world's standard of quality, but to me this was a pretty good meal. It was peaceful compared to the last three days of my life. Just sitting there, eating some breakfast in a room that wasn't collapsing, in danger of being attacked by shadow monsters, or throwing me across time and space. Just sitting there, surrounded by cleaning supplies and a rusty water heater, listening to myself chew. Almost makes me forget that I'm basically trapped her-

The door burst open and the high pitched whine of a whistle filled the room. In the span of a breath I reached under my pillow, grabbed hold of what was hidden and turned to the being standing in my doorway.

"GOOD MORNING SI-"

I double tapped the trigger of my sawed off shotgun, unloading both of the barrels into the face of my unprepared assailant. Her head cocked back suddenly and she stumbled back into the hallway and into the wall before hitting the floor. In the light of the hallway I watched as Ruby's head flopped forward limply.

"… oh shit." I mumble, throwing my shotgun and breakfast onto my bed as I slid my mask back on and rushed out of my room.

Ruby stayed unmoving with her back to the wall. I knelt down and tilted her head up to get a better look at her. She had this glazed look in her eyes but didn't look like she was hurt otherwise, no bruises or anything. Not sure what it is that lets these people keep shrugging off shit like this but I really ought to consider asking.

"You ok Ruby?"

"do I have to go to school uncle Qrow? The beowolves keep stealing my lunch." Ruby slurred as she tried to focus herself.

'Ok, she's conscious. Knocked dumber than the Think Tank, but conscious.'

A door a little further down the hall burst open and Yang burst out. "Ruby what's- whoa!"

She stopped mid-sentence and stared in our direction. This situation definitely looked bad, I was currently standing over a semi-conscious girl in an otherwise deserted hallway with very little context to speak of.

Then I remembered I was still dressed for sleeping, which basically amounted to underwear, undershirt, and helmet. Not good.

I did a backwards somersault and disappeared into the doorway of my room. I quickly slammed the door shut and scrambled to pull something on before Yang ripped the door off the hinges. I pulled my uniform off the hanger it was given to me on and pulled the pants on. No sooner were they zipped and buttoned than my door burst open again. Yang was standing in the doorway looking utterly pissed.

"What did you do?" She growled

"I swear it was an accident." I stammer

"Explain it to me." Yang said, stalking closer to me. I got the distinct impression she was going to attack regardless of what I said.

"She kicked my door open and I… kinda sorta… shot her?"

Yang suddenly leapt at me, grabbed me by the scruff of my shirt, and slammed me into a wall. "You What!?"

"-With bean bags!" I continued "I shot her with bean bags! I swear it was an accident."

"Y-Yang? Six?" Ruby groaned from the hallway. "What happened?"

'Oh thank Graham, she recovers fast.'

Yang turned her attention away from me as her sister began to stir. She dropped me like a sack of flour and hurried over to her sister.

"Are you ok Ruby?" Yang asked, kneeling to inspect her concussed sibling

"My head hurts. Did something hit me?" Ruby asked groggily

"Yea, Six doesn't know how to greet people normally." Yang turned slightly and shot me a scowl.

I shrugged. 'She kicked my door in, what'd she expect me to do?'

Yang picked her barely conscious sister off the ground and carried her back to their room. As they approached, the door across from theirs open and Jaune stuck his head out.

"Everything ok out here?" He asked nervously "I heard a gunshot."

"Go back to sleep Jaune." I say from down the hallway.

He takes a look at the concussed Ruby before slowly retracting into his room and closing the door. I returned to my room and finished pulling my uniform on before looking at my now ruined breakfast. It was good while it lasted, now it was just a mess that I'd have to clean later. I reloaded a pair of beanbag shells into my sawed-off before returning it to its home under my pillow. I closed the door and walked down the hall to my teammates' room. I knocked, like a civilized being and waited for them to open the door.

Yang pulled opened the door and glared at me for a moment. I got the distinct impression she wanted to punch me. Then she sighed angrily and let me in. I walked calmly into the room.

'That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you enter a room.'

The room looked like a twister blew through it. There were bags, clothes, and personal items of varying shapes and sizes littering the room. It was like someone took Old Lady Gibson's scrap yard, stuck it into a tumbler, and let it run until it broke. Ruby was sitting on the edge of her bed rubbing her head.

"… ok, I'll bite, what am I looking at?"

"Our room." Blake said "Which you are going to help us set up."

I promptly turned around and attempted to walk out of the room. Yang slammed the door shut.

"Don't I get a say in this?" I ask

"You did, then you shot my sister in the face." Yang said "Isn't that right Ruby?"

"Yup." Ruby agreed "definitely helping."

"If you need convincing-" Yang said, putting her hand on my shoulder and squeezing tight. "Just think of it as a team-building exercise."

"… ugh, fine. Let's get this over with."

Yang, Blake, and even the concussed Ruby shared a smile. Weiss just looked like she was very displeased by the whole debacle.

"Banzai!" The three teammates said in unison. Somewhere in the room I heard the sound of some strange drum.

'the hell was that?'

…

It took a while for us to clean the room and get some things straightened out. I was mostly just there to move furniture and hold things. Though I suppose it was a good way to learn about the chain gang I'd been stuck with. Given her ridiculous amount of luggage and insistence on hanging a very tasteful painting, It wasn't hard to assume Weiss fancied herself some sort of socialite. In a lot of ways she reminded me of ambassador Crocker, in a good way so far. Yang stuck a picture of what I assume was this world's take on a barbershop quartet. Though there were six people in the poster… so a barbershop sextet?... No, that just sounds wrong. Point is, she seems like a "normal" teenage girl. Ruby showed her young age. She compensated her short stature with a longer object to help her hang drapes. Unfortunately she also cut the drapes in half, and very narrowly myself as well, since she used her opened scythe to hang them. Not a smart idea. Blake was of a very learned persuasion, if the small library of books she brought with her was any indicator. She literally took every bit of shelf space available and crammed a book onto it. Though I did notice there was one book she grabbed and her face got really red. She quickly stashed it behind one of the shelves, hoping no one was looking. Gonna store that one away for later use.

By the time the remodeling train lost steam, we were left with enough luggage to fill a small warehouse and not enough space for everyone to place their stuff down. We'd even stacked the beds in an awkward pile in the center of the room to try and find more space. But it didn't solve the problem since they were going to have to move them back in the end anyway. These girls had over packed so well they could probably give _me_ lessons.

"This… isn't going to work." Weiss groaned in annoyance.

"It's a bit cramped." Blake added

"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff?" Yang offered in agreement

I looked among the three team members. "… no kidding? What gave it away, mount box-spring over there? Why don't you try getting rid of _that_."

"hmm…" Ruby hummed thoughtfully. "… Maybe we _could_ ditch the beds."

"Uh… I was only kidding Ruby, you don't actually have t-"

"No, no, we should totally ditch them! We can replace them with Bunk beds!" Ruby exclaimed happily

"That's… that's actually a reasonable solution, come to think of it."

"And super awesome!" Yang cut back in.

"That sounds exceedingly dangerous." Weiss said in disagreement. "Can we vote on this?"

"We basically just did." Ruby chuckled

" _His_ vote doesn't count!" Weiss motioned to me.

"I'm pretty sure she wasn't counting me." I said, motioning to Blake. The young brunette was giving a small thumbs up in conjunction with a sheepish smile, much to Weiss's chagrin.

"…fine" Weiss sighed in frustration. "Let's just finish this already."

It took us significantly less time to move and rearrange the beds than it did to set the rest of the room up. Their beds weren't designed with the intention of having them function as bunk beds. So my experience as a jury rigger came in handy. Never in all my time fixing rifles with sewing pins and plumbing linkages with tin cans would I have imagined I'd hang a bed from the ceiling with duct tape and rope. I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them either.

We all stepped back to admire our handy work. Gotta say, it looked hideous. But if it works, who cares?

"Alright!" Ruby exclaimed in excitement before flopping onto one of the beds. "All that's left now is…"

Her excitement faded at the thought of what was supposed to come next.

"Classes?" I offer

"… Yeah, those." She said dejectedly.

Ruby pulled a small planner from her cape and began to thumb through the pages. "let's see, at 9 we have-"

"Did you say 9 o'clock!?" Weiss asked suddenly

"Uh… yes?"

"It's 8:55 you dunce!"

With a turn, Weiss ran from the room at high speed.

"… Geez, what's got her panties in a knot?" I ask

"We don't want to be late on the first day!" Ruby shouted following after Weiss.

"So? I'm late to things all the time." I slowly walked out of the room as Yang and Blake prepared to start running.

"Well, have fun with Ms. Goodwitch in detention then." Yang said with an innocent smile as she and Blake took off down the hall. They rounded a corner and disappeared as I took a moment to process my situation.

'Beat feet to something I want nothing to do with or get stuck in a room with the smug stripper for a few hours…'

"Graham Dammit."

I bolted back to my room, grabbed a notebook and ran down the hall after the girls. By the time I'd made it outside I could see them crossing a quad towards one of the school buildings. They took the paths, I had no problem cutting across the grass to catch up. I managed to catch up to them at the doorway of the building. To my surprise, Jaune and the rest of JNPR had joined our little convoy.

"Change your mind?" Yang asked coyly as we raced down the hallways.

"Just keep running, I'm not getting stuck with Goodwitch in detention." I growl

Our posses rounded a final corner and slid into the class room. It was a large lecture hall, with the student's desks elevated in levels and a big pit area for the professor and presentations. I think I saw something like this in the Big Empty once, though I can't say for sure. We clambered up a set of stairs and took some open seat on the first row. I took a seat between Ruby and Weiss just as a portly looking man with silver hair and an immaculate walrus moustache walked in. My assumption would be that he is the professor, though that would make him the first teacher I've actually met at this school outside of Ozpin and Goodwitch.

"Well now." He said jovially "You all appear to be in good spirits. If you'll allow me a few minutes to prepare, class will begin shortly."

Though he didn't actually wait for a reply to his question, it did take him a few minutes to set up what he would need for his lesson. He scribbled a couple of rough sketches onto the chalk boards at the front of the room. I recognized a few of them, they looked like the Grimm that tried to rip me apart yesterday. I could hear Ruby snoring next to me as she rested her head in her propped up hand. Either she's quick to fall asleep or her concussion was starting to act up.

I reached into my uniform's jack and pulled out the notebook I'd grabbed. If there was anything of importance I needed to know about this world, I was gonna have to get it from these classes, unfortunately. I can only hope that these people don't ramble.

…

"Monsters!" the professor emphasized each word with a chalk stroke "Demons! Prowlers of the Night!"

'please shut up, you're giving me a migraine.'

The portly man turned to face the class. "Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them… as Prey! Ha ha!"

Ruby's head slipped out of her hand and she was roused from her short slumber.

'good, concussion averted so far.'

"-and So shall you, upon your graduation from this prestigious academy." The professor continued.

'Yeah, yeah, honor and glory to the first person to not die after graduation. Goodwitch already said this two days ago.'

So far the information I'd gotten wasn't entirely useful, though I guess I can't expect anatomy lessons on the first day. Can't go and give away the important shit without making us work for it. So far though the professor, a one Peter Port, had only been giving me a splitting headache. We get it, you're a hunting enthusiast, please stop before I give _myself_ a concussion just to ignore you.

"Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world.-"

'Finally, something useful.' I scribbled down that there were three other 'important' factions in this world. No specifics, but it was a start. Especially considering I can't ready anything he writes on the board.

"-Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would absolutely love to tear you to pieces."

'Gee, why does that sound familiar?'

"But that is where we come in. Hunters! Huntresses!" Port made a clicking with his tongue and I heard a nervous chuckle from some of the other female students, Yang included.

'Dude, these girls are old enough to be your daughter. Have some dignity.'

"-Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves. From what, you ask? Why, the very world of course!"

Somewhere behind me, some kiss-ass shouted in agreement. I wasn't the only one who noticed since Ruby turned to look behind her.

"That is what you are training to become. But first, a story."

'Please no, I don't want to hear another rambling story.'

"A tale of a young, handsome man."

'Strange, I just got here, didn't think I-'

"Me."

I let Port fade into the background as he began to drone about his childhood. I stared down at my pip-boy and began to fiddle with the knobs and dials. I clicked over to the stats section and checked my which, in addition to the list of Grayed out locations, listed Vale and Beacon among them. Beacon being represented by vault-person versions of Ozpin and Goodwitch, while Vale was represented by a man in a bowler hat and a woman with multiple hair colors. Which is impressive given the pip-boy's display only showing green and black. I think bowler-hat guy was supposed to represent Torchwick, but I didn't recognize the girl.

"-Despite smelling of cabbages, My grandfather was a wise man. 'Peter-' He told me,-"

The sounds of giggling drew my attention to the small girl sitting beside me. Ruby was scribbling something on a sheet of paper. She noticed I was looking and gave a smirk before raising the sheet and revealing her caricature of Port. A round, smelly beach ball with spindly arms and a ridiculous mustache. Apparently I wasn't the only one to notice. I could hear Yang giggling further down. Ruby blew a small raspberry and I couldn't help but give a small chuckle.

"Ahem." Port cleared his throat. Squashing the small laughter Ruby had generated. She quickly slapped the paper back down onto the table. "Ms. Rose, is there something you would like to share with class?"

"Uhh…" Ruby said, looking like a deer in headlights.

"She was just saying how… astounding it was for you to take on a beowolf at such a young age." I say, cutting in to give Ruby some breathing room "Though she feels sorry for your friend."

"Hmm, is that so ms. Rose?"

"Y-yea, that's it sir." Ruby said, taking the out I provided. We probably sounded like ass-kissers now, but it's better than explaining Ruby's atrocious art skills.

"Ah, well it certainly wasn't a feat my grandfather had expected." Port said with a beaming smile. Then it faded slightly. "As for ms. Ducke, it truly is a shame she hadn't been more wary… now, where was I? …Ah, yes-"

Port went back to rambling, I gave Ruby a glance as she scribbled something onto her paper. ' _Thanks'_ was scrawled in a very curly script on the corner of the paper. I gave a small nod and returned my focus to my pipboy. I may have the charisma of a substitute teacher most days, but that was subject to a whole number of things. Namely, my current drink count or how much the person in front of me liked me.

"A true huntsman-" Port finally concluded his rambling "Must be honorable. A true huntsman must be dependable. A true huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise… So, who among you thinks themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Next to me, Weiss's hand shot up. "I do, sir!" she seethed

'Weiss Schnee, model of humility and dignity, ladies and germs.'

Port smirked, "Well then, let's find out."

There was a slight rattling as a space in the floor next to Port opened and a cage rose from it. The creature inside was hidden in shadows, only the gleam of its red eyes showed it was a Grimm.

"Step forward, and face your opponent."

Weiss stood from her seat and walked around us, down the stairs, and out the door. Her stride was quick and stormy. She seemed upset, but for the last few hours I'd known her that just appeared to be her default mood. So if there was something wrong, I wasn't the person to notice it. A few minutes passed and Weiss stalked back through the door, now clad in standard white skirt/dress ensemble. She clutched that weird looking toothpick she called a sword in one hand and took a stance across the room from the caged beast.

"Gooo Weiss!" Yang shouted

"Fight Well!" Blake said, giving an uncharacteristic smile and waving a tiny flag.

'When did we make flags? Musta missed a memo.'

"You got this, Snowflake." I say flatly, twirling my finger in the air.

"Yeah! Represent Teeeeam RWBY!" Ruby shouted gleefully

Weiss shot the tiny girl a glare. "Ruby, I'm trying to focus." She said angrily.

"oh, sorry." Ruby deflated.

"let the match-" Port said, raising a strange looking axe "Begin!"

Port swung the axe down, shattering the lock that kept the cage closed. The door fell open, revealing the Grimm that was trapped within. It was a boar-like beast, with two sets of eyes, massive tusks, and a mask that covered its entire head. A part of me noticed a pattern involving the Grimm, most seemed to have masks that covered their heads. If they were all basically bullet proof, then shooting them in the head was an option that may not be on the table any more. Fan-fucking-tastic.

In the blink of an eye, the boar had burst from the cage at lightning speed. It bore down on Weiss like a bat out of hell. By the time she realized it the boar was less than ten feet away. She rolled to the side, swiping at the boar with her sword as it passed her. As she returned to her feet the boar slowed and turned to face her, growling lowly.

"Ha Ha, Wasn't expecting that were you?" Port asked in his standard joviality

"Hang in there Weiss!" Ruby shouted next to me.

For the briefest of moments, Weiss shot a glare at Ruby. Normally this wouldn't have made a difference. Of course normally, you wouldn't been in the middle of fighting a pitch black murder-pig. The boar charged Weiss the instant she turned to face Ruby.

"Eyes forward Snowflake!" I shouted

I was too late, by the time Weiss realized her mistake the boar had reached her. She raised her toothpick in defense and the boar knocked it aside with its charge. The beast slammed into her, tossing her aside like a sack of Tatos. Her toothpick went flying from her grasp, clattering to the floor on the opposite side of the room

"Ho ho" Port continued his color commentary, "now what will you do without your weapon?"

Weiss blinked, regaining her composure as the boar charged her once more. She threw herself to the side, rolled, and sprang to her feet as the boar missed her and slammed into the desk. The creature flopped and tumbled to the side upon impact. Weiss dashed over and grabbed her toothpick from the ground before turning to face the boar again.

"Weiss! Go for its belly!" Ruby shouted next to me "There's no armor underneath-"

"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss snapped

'Then stop sucking so hard.'

Ruby's expression sank a little. She hadn't been expecting that kind of reaction.

The squealing ball of darkness leapt into the air, tucked into itself and proceeded to roll toward Weiss like a runaway tire. Having finally learned that this creature was nothing but a one trick Brahmin, Weiss readied something I hadn't expected. She waited until the boar was almost upon her before parrying the beast with her sword. But the beast never touched her or her sword. Instead it ran face first into a glowing blue mandala Weiss had summoned. Though it was different from the ones I'd seen Goodwitch use. Rather than displaying a symmetrical image, Weiss's projection bore a singular massive glyph instead. The beast came to a dead stop on impact, falling helplessly on its back. Capitalizing on this, Weiss summoned another of the glyphs above and jumped towards it. With a flip, she planted her feet against it. In an instant the bright blue glow faded black and Weiss was launched at the stunned swine. There was a strangled squeal of pain as Weiss's toothpick skewered the pig in its belly. With a few final twitches, the boar dropped dead. Weiss knelt beside it, panting and trying to collect herself.

"Bravo! Braa-vo!" Port said, in what may have been feigned enthusiasm, though I honestly couldn't tell. "It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in training."

Weiss stood up, still panting and trying to collect herself. She forced herself to at least look the part as Port dismissed us. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and, stay vigilant. Class dismissed."

Weiss shot Ruby another glare before stalking out of the room again. The rest of the students began packing up shortly thereafter.

"Sheesh, what's with her?" I heard Jaune ask faintly from his seat.

…

As soon as Ruby collected everything she'd brought with her, she bolted from the room. Not sure what lit a fire under her ass, but she was gone before anyone had a chance to ask. Yang, Blake, and I went our separate ways. Blake wanted to check out the library, something I might look into myself, and Yang said something about a class. As far as the hunk of metal on my arm told me, I was free to spend the rest of my day as I saw fit. Which meant I could probably take that shopping trip now. I still had some supplies, but figuring out what items did and didn't exist in this world needed to be addressed. Finding microfilm maps for my pip-boy should probably be added to the list as well. Trying to find my way out while being unable to read the signs was annoying

I walked down a corridor that, according to my compass, lead to an exit from the building. It should be just around the next right corner. After that it was just a matter of finding a way to town. I just needed to get there first. As I reached the corner though, I saw Ruby standing at the crossroads. An all too familiar voice echoing from just beyond the corner.

"That's just it, you've done nothing to earn your position!" Weiss shouted angrily.

Under normal circumstances, I'd turn around and find a different path. But the exit was right here. I figured if I waited long enough they'd move on. Somehow, they hadn't noticed me yet either. With that in mind, I leaned against the wall and engaged stealth mode.

"-back in the forest-" Weiss continued "- you acted like a child and you've only continued to do so."

"Weiss, where is this coming from?" Ruby asked, sounding a bit hurt. "What happened to all the talk about working together? I thought you believed in acting as a team."

"Not a team led by _you._ I've studied, and trained, and quite frankly I deserve better." There was a clicking of shoes on stone as someone moved. "Ozpin made a mistake."

There was a sound of receding footsteps. Followed by silence filling the air.

"… Well someone is a bit of a hypocrite." I say, making my presence known. Ruby jolted a little, she turned and finally noticed me. "so much for being a 'team player', huh?"

"… do you think she's right?" Ruby asked dejectedly. "Did Professor Ozpin make a mistake?"

"How should I know? Do I look like a silver haired caffeinophile?"

Ruby looked at me curiously, a sad look still present in her eyes.

"… Is that a yes?" Ruby asked

"No, it's an 'I'm not sure'." I reply sarcastically "Ruby you've been leading for less than a day, how do you expect me to judge you?"

"Weiss isn't having a hard time." Ruby said sadly

"Well she's just pissy that she didn't get chosen for the job."

Ruby's expression continued to deflate. I got this strange feeling in my chest, it was… familiar, in a way. Seeing her upset didn't sit right with me.

"… You know she has no idea what she's talking about, right?"

Ruby blinked and looked at me.

"She can 'train' and 'study' for being a leader, but that only means so much."

Now Ruby was just confused.

"What I'm trying to say is, despite the fact that Weiss is supposedly 'prepared' to be a leader, Ozpin chose you. At some point during the initiation, you did something that Ozpin recognized as being worthy to lead."

"I suppose…"

"… Aight, look, I may not know the whole story about how you girls took down that Nevermore, but that was probably the reason Ozpin chose you."

"But one good plan-"

"Doesn't make you a good leader, I know, _believe_ me. But the plan isn't what was important. From everything I heard, the important fact was that you took charge when your teammates needed direction."

I leaned further against the wall. I felt like I was digging into something I shouldn't be but couldn't help but go a little further.

"A good leader isn't someone who can come up with a plan that can work perfectly on the first go, or someone who's trained relentlessly for that singular purpose. A leader sets the example, they take charge when things go wrong and push to find the best solution. When things go wrong, the punishment falls to them first…"

My thoughts drifted back to New Vegas for a moment. The time before I got stuck in charge. How Oliver willingly screwed his own people for his own gain.

"… A leader that demands power because they 'trained' the hardest and 'learned' every strategy is no leader at all. They're just a spoiled brat."

"…Six?" Ruby asked

I snapped out of my thoughts and noticed Ruby had lost some of the sadness in her eyes. It seems that I'd succeeded in capturing her attention. But something about her seemed worried now. Perhaps I had gone a bit far into studying my navel territory.

"Sorry, got a bit carried away there. What I'm trying to say is that whether or not you are a bad leader isn't something that can be determined yet. I may be stuck with you girls, no offense, but that doesn't mean I'm going to disrespect and fight you at every turn."

Ruby nodded a little, taking in what I was saying.

"If Ozpin 'made a mistake', then that's something we may or may not learn. From everything I've seen, you're putting your best foot forward. Nobody can ask for much more than that."

Ruby gave me a soft smile, apparently I'd managed to cheer up the small girl. What I wasn't expecting was the weird feeling I got in my chest shortly there-after. I must be getting sick or something.

'Why does my face feel warm?'

"Y-You know though, there is an easy way to cure hypocrisy." I pushed off the wall and back onto my feet.

"Really?"

"Yea, it's proving them dead wrong."

The smile on Ruby's face got a little bigger.

"My advice: Go to the library and find a few books on tactics, communication, or even trust building. The more experience you get with this the less Weiss can complain, but a little book learning won't do any harm either."

Ruby gave a confident nod and began walking down the hall I'd come from. "Thanks, Six" She said

"Don't mention it… Seriously though, don't, the last thing I want is to start playing therapist to everyone."

Ruby gave a light chuckle and walked on. She seemed to be in better spirits now.

"Well now, this was certainly unexpected." A new voice chimed in. From around the corner walked the frequently aforementioned caffeinophile. "I was about to have a world with Ms. Rose, then who should she so happen to meet up with but you."

"Meh, I was heading somewhere and just happened to bump into her."

"Indeed, Though I find it surprising you'd take the time to cheer her up. Given your otherwise uncooperative tendencies."

'I'm only uncooperative when people give me shit.'

"Well-" I say, preparing to walk away. "If I'm to be stuck with them, it would be best to at least make sure I can work with them."

Ozpin gave his trademark smirk. "Fair enough… although, the manner you chose to do so was… unexpected."

'Oh I definitely don't like where this is going.'

"Well, what else could I say? My other attempts just upset her more."

"True… but from everything you said, it sounded as though you've had experiences with leadership before. As though you yourself may have been in such a position."

'called it, he's trying to suss me again.'

I mentioned back during my interrogation that I omitted a number of things when Ozpin was interrogating me. One of them was the majority of my personal history and status as 'Supreme Commanding Lord of New Vegas and the Mojave.'. Before you ask, no I didn't come up with the title… Lily did. I told him the bare basics to keep him at bay. Should've figured he'd come digging for more.

"Trust me when I say this: It doesn't matter what you promise me, I will never be stuck in charge of people. They're incredibly frustrating and impossible to work with."

"Yes, but this does not answer the question."

"… No, I have not been a leader. Now if you don't mind-" I resume walking towards the exit. "- I need to take a trip into town. Bye."

I turned the corner and began walking towards the open doorway. The warm glow of an afternoon sky and setting sun drifted through it.

"Very well then. Have a good trip, the last airship for the day left five minutes ago.

"…"

'dammit.'

…

I spent the rest of my day wandering the school… again. By the time I actually get ahold of a microfilm of this world, I'll probably have it memorized and won't need it anyway. Honestly, without any real target to focus myself on in this place, I'd probably never find anything useful. The only places I'd filed away so far were the dorms and where port's class was.

I snagged some food from the mess-hall and sequestered myself outside. I probably could've sat with my 'teammates' but I have to move my helmet and mask around to eat. I'm not on quite at the face to face level with them. Even if I was I'd still be surrounded by dozens of people who definitely weren't. so for now, it's either eating in my room or having picnics outside. Doesn't bother me one bit, scenery is nicer outside and it's quieter. Unless they drag me to eat with them, I don't plan on eating inside any time soon. Dinner was good, surprisingly. I doubt this world had Brahmin, but I'd recognize beef anywhere. It appeared to be chuck steak with some pasty white mush and little green vegetables that looked like trees. The steak was a little over done, but infinitely better than the previous meal this school gave me. The mush was bland and the vegetables were a bit bitter, but they weren't bad with a bit of salt.

I stayed outside until the sun set completely, then a little longer to look up at the night sky. It was amazing how similar, yet different it was from the one in the Mojave. I didn't recognize any constellations either. It was still pretty to look at though.

When I finished star gazing, I made tracks to the dorm. It was late by this point, every sane person was either asleep or soon going to be. Which meant the showers were deserted and I could clean up undisturbed. I took a quick one, though I had to spend several minutes waiting to dry off once I realized I still didn't have a towel. After that I cleaned up the mess from my incident earlier that morning and settled into my cot. I tried to fall asleep, but it appeared tonight was going to be one of the rare nights where it tried to elude me. Unfortunately, I was out of my usual remedy for this situation. Ozpin had seen to that. Instead I was going to have to try something different. Ozpin had left most of my herbs untouched, which is funny considering many of them are highly poisonous unless used properly. But this also meant I had the ingredients to make a cup of dream-time knock-out juice™. Bit of Daturana extract, one ground up broc flower, and a honey mesquite pod steeped into hot water to make tea. The only ingredient I was missing was water to boil. Which I could easily remedy by getting some from the common room. I could use the water from the boiler in my room, but something tells me it could turn into a very bad idea very quickly.

Dressed in my half park stroller outfit, I walked down the hall and turned into the common area of the dorm building. It was basically a lounge with a few conveniences. Like a tv, coffee maker, some couches, and a sink for water. I set a tin kettle underneath the faucet and fill it up as far as I need to. The sound of approaching footsteps grabs my attention. I turn and notice Weiss is approaching the sink.

"'Sup." I say, capping off my kettle.

"Hello." Weiss said solemnly. She took note of the kettle I was carrying. "Are you making tea?"

"Yea, having a bit of trouble sleeping. I got some stuff to fix that."

She nodded and walked over to the coffee maker. She started pouring grounds into a fresh filter.

"I suppose you're making coffee then?"

"None for me. It's for our leader."

"Oh, I see" A smirk running across my face from under my mask. "Trying to buck the chain of command? Rise above your station, that sort of thing?"

Weiss looked at me like I was an idiot. "What? No, it's to help keep her awake while she studies."

"Oh." I was genuinely surprised she'd dropped her hostility. "In that case, you might want to use something a bit stronger than decaf."

Weiss looked at the container of coffee she was using and noticed the bright orange tag near its base. Written in black text was the word 'decaffeinated'.

"… thank you." She said, slightly embarrassed.

"Don't mention it, just glad to see that you're willing to talk to each other so soon after that spat of yours."

Weiss's face turned a light shade of red. "You heard that?"

"Snowflake, I think _everyone_ heard that. Word of advice? Air your dirty laundry behind closed doors."

"… Well-" Weiss stammered, attempting to retain her composure. "- perhaps I judged her a bit harshly. I talked with professor Port and he helped me to see things differently."

"Like how our team leader _isn't_ a thirteen year old?"

"… yes…?"

I gave a dry chuckle. "I get it, ya know? If somebody was going to tell me I was going to be stuck following an inexperienced kid around I wouldn't be happy either."

"Then why are you putting up with it?"

"'cuz it's the hand I've been dealt and the game hasn't even left the first round yet."

"You can't really tell how things will go." Weiss nodded "Port said about as much."

"Hm, I guess there's something to his rambling after all."

"Well… I'm not opposed to _all_ of her ideas… I'd always wanted bunk beds as a child."

"From my understanding, her plan during the initiation is testimony to her quick thinking."

Weiss nodded. "That was… unorthodox, but it did work."

"You'd be surprised how often 'unorthodox plans turn out to be the best ones."

"Speaking of the intiation, you never did explain how you survived falling off the cliff with the Grimm."

"True… perhaps I'll keep it that way, leave you all to marvel at the one moron to survive falling off a cliff with an armored Deathclaw."

"… Deathclaw?"

"…Oh, right, you guys haven't seen one before."

'Or ever, assuming there isn't some native version in this world.' I thought

"Yes, in all of my studies I don't believe I've seen a Grimm like that."

"Yeah, they're- uh- pretty rare. Only found in very remote places."

"How rare?"

'More rare than a clean hooker in Gomorrah, for you guys anyway.'

"Rare enough. What's with all the questions?"

"Best to be prepared if we ever see one again… But if they're so rare how do you know about them?"

"… You don't want to know."

"I do, actually, since you seem to know something about them."

"… A courier never reveals his secrets, under threat of death."

'I've nearly died for more. No sense in giving away knowledge for free… yet.'

"Anyway, weren't you in the middle of playing coffee girl for Ruby?"

"Oh, right, thanks."

Weiss poured a mug full of fresh brewed coffee and proceeded to dump a thing of milk and a _lot_ of sugar into it. Someone certainly has a sweet tooth. The two of us began our walk back towards our respective rooms.

"This will certainly be an interesting time." Weiss said as we walked

"Wish I could say the same, unfortunately I've got a bad habit of following people when I shouldn't."

"Now look who's having second thoughts."

"Hey, doesn't mean it always ended poorly, just know it's a bad habit."

"With someone as strange as Ruby, it's hard to tell."

"Strange or not, so far she's still leagues better than Lee Oliver."

"…Who?"

Silence filled the air as Weiss looked at me in confusion.

'Shit, I just said that out loud.'

"No one, Oh look here's my room gotta go bye."

I turned, cracked open my door, slid through, and locked it behind me. Leaving Weiss alone in the hallway. I silently chastised my lapse in thought. I quickly brewed my bitter and pungent drink, downing it as fast as I could. In summation, that was my first day of learning at Beacon.

* * *

 **A/N: Woo, last chapter before the end of the year. Was wondering whether or not I'd get it out before it happened. Anyway, not much to say this time, hope you enjoyed. Always enjoy seeing your thoughts, critiques, and so on. Peace.**

 **-Ash**


	5. Night in the Town

My foot tapped quickly against the floor. My patience for the day had just about reached its limit and was only getting stretched further and further thin. There was only so much pointless blathering I could handle in a single day, and I'd been dealing with it for the entirety of the past week. If this first week was any indicator of what was awaiting for the rest of my tenure at this academy, I dreaded facing it with unimpeded sobriety.

"-Each of you will be assigned one rocket propelled locker to store your weapons and extra armor." Good witch explained, standing amongst a very familiar series of lockers "-Additionally, your locker can be sent to a custom location based on a six digit code."

'… aight, I suppose that'd be useful, if I wasn't already able to carry all my stuff at once.'

The past week had been nothing but opening days and introductions. There were classes that I _suppose_ you'd find at a school, having never attended one myself. I'd so far been introduced to a mathematics class, a history class, and a few scientific courses. Also, there was a regimented P.E. course that we were to keep up with. Of course, the number of classes you probably _wouldn't_ find was pretty ridiculous too. There was a 'shop' class, which might not seem strange, but it was specified that the entire course was for maintaining and modifying our equipment and guns. I was fairly certain there was something like this in old world schools, but you didn't get to make guns. Then there was the Grimm biology course I'd had with Port on the first day. After that was combat theory, which was also the class I was currently in. So far, it was just studying combat practices and tactics. Though if rumors were to be believed, and they often were, there would also be actual combat at various points throughout the course. While none of this may sound crazy, that's because I'm intentionally omitting courses. This doesn't account for any courses available to students that have left their first _semester_. The list for _year_ based classes was even worse.

I don't even want to know what 'Invasive Insertions, Rapid Deployment, and Strategic Withdrawals 101' is about. I have a few guesses that may or may not be right.

There was a shuffling next to me as I was snapped out of my thoughts. Some guy in armor, I think his name was Cardamom or something, was cramming Jaune into one of the aforementioned lockers.

"What!?" Jaune shouted in surprise as the locker door slammed shut. "-No, no! Wait! Let me out of here!"

There was a small beeping as Cardamom pushed the keypad in front of the door. The locker began to make a whirring noise, similar to a turbine that was beginning to wind up.

"Please don't!" Jaune shouted again. "Don't! No no no Don't do it-"

Locker shuddered violently and launched itself into the air with a puff of blue smoke and roaring flames. It passed through a vent in the ceiling and disappeared for a moment. It reappeared in the sky outside, slowly hurtling away from the building. Judging by its arc though, it probably was going to touch down somewhere just outside the school. Gonna have to make a note of these things too, in case I ever need to make a quick getaway.

"Ahem." Goodwitch cleared her throat pointedly, clearly not amused by Cardamom's behavior. "Mr. Winchester, I must ask you to refrain from abusing the lockers in such a way. I must also ask you to avoid treating your fellow hunters in training in such a manner."

"What did I do?" Cardamom asked with an innocent shrug and a cocky smirk. "It's just a friendly prank."

I heard a low growl a small distance away and noticed the rest of JNPR was staring at Cardamom. Ren was unreadable, Nora had bared her teeth like an angry Gecko, and Pyrrha looked upset.

Goodwitch glared at Cardamom for a moment longer before changing gears. She returned to addressing the class as a whole. "The locker you will be assigned is the same as the one you were given prior to the initiation. However, as Mister Winchester just demonstrated, the Rocket propulsion system has now been engaged. Are there any questions?"

The class remained silent.

"… Very Well, I assume we can wrap-"

I didn't allow Goodwitch to finish her sentence. The moment the word 'wrap' left her mouth I turned and bolted for the door. I slammed into it and smashed it open. I didn't break it, but the hinges were going to need re-attaching. I ran full tilt down the hall way.

Four times. Four times had I missed the airship to town. The first due to Ruby's pep talk. The second to me getting lost in the halls. The Third when I discovered food poisoning was still a thing in this world as well. The fourth because I had to spend the afternoon evading Ruby as she tried to rope me into some "group activity" she was planning. But this time, this time I was making it to that ship even if I had to shoot it out of the sky, Counterproductive though it may be. I rounded a corner, ran through another door and into the world. The light of a setting sun dyed the sky a burning auburn. I'd taken the liberty to mark out certain locations in my mind where I could cut across campus faster and get to the ship quicker. I would not let my time be wasted.

I cut across a quad and almost barreled through a crowd of other students. Being nimble as I am though, I didn't. Instead I ran, kicked off a wall and leapt over the shorter members of the crowd. Though my leg did brush past this girl's hair accessory. They kinda looked like, what I think are anyway, rabbit ears. Odd choice but I'm no judge.

I passed under an archway and could see a long stone path stretching before me. At the end of it was the Airship port. It was still there, massive and hovering over the precipice of the cliff and sea. I could hear the engines beginning to wind up.

I poured every last bit of energy I could into my legs. My feet pounded against the cobble stone as I closed the gap between me and the ship. I could see it beginning to list away from the cliff side.

'Oh no you don't, you stupid tin can!'

I reached the cliff edge and leapt. The ship continued to pull away from me but I was already airborne. I slammed into the deck of the ship's entryway as it began to accelerate away from the school. I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling, lungs burning a little and legs feeling like jelly.

"… Heh. Ha ha-" I laughed in a dry wheeze "Finally beat you, you stupid hunk of metal."

A big smile stretched across my face. I didn't care about how I was going to find my way back to the academy. Then, in that moment, I had crossed my biggest hurdle.

"… Now I can go grocery shopping."

…

The ride to Vale took about half an hour. By the time I got there, the city was bathed in the dull red glow of a setting sun and the hollow warmth of its street lamps. There were still a good number of people on the streets, either traveling home or enjoying a night on the town. Though it was different from Vegas. As far as I could see there was no one stumbling drunk in the street, no scantily clad women dancing in the public water fountains, and no shady grifter hocking piss poor weapons you can smuggle into casinos. Weapons that break the moment you're forced to use them.

Overall, I couldn't tell if this place was a step up or down. But at least this place had working cars. So, hey, they got that going for them.

The city itself wasn't too hard on the eyes either. Lot of old school masonry and stone work. Nothing bigger than what I'd grown accustomed to in Vegas or Freeside. If I had to guess, this place was probably built to last. Barring a nuclear holocaust anyway. The streets were just a bit wider too. I've run the numbers comparing most of the burned out vehicles in the wasteland to the crumbling streets and roads. Might've been because of the resource shortages, but the roads always seemed just a smidge too small for the cars that used them. Here though? The streets gave ample room for just about anything to roll through them. I guess resource shortage weren't something to be concerned with… yet.

Most of the people I passed on the streets were dressed in clothes I would expect to see. Unlike the otherwise ridiculous and bizarre outfits the hunters of Beacon kept as their standard wardrobe. Most everyone I passed was dressed in some variation of pants or shirt, few in such gaudy colors I'd want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty nail.

Kids were playing in the street, couples were walking down the sidewalks without a care in the world, harried family men and women were rushing home. It all seemed so alien compared to the Mojave. If there was something sinister going on, it didn't make itself known. There were no thugs actively trying to gut people for pocket change. There wasn't even a drunk man leaning against a building trying to relieve himself.

As if all the street signs and billboards didn't make it clear this wasn't Vegas.

I couldn't read a lick of what was written and was basically stumbling around the city with little more than the compass of my pipboy. I had _one_ destination, a marketplace or vendor that would sell me some basic necessities. So that I would last long enough to actually get back to Vegas. Unfortunately, The hunk of scrap on my arm didn't consider basic survival needs _important_ enough to warrant giving me any actual direction. So naturally, I was lost. Not such a bad thing, since it gave me a chance to explore. But I was losing my patience very quickly and If I didn't figure out where I was going soon it wasn't going to be pretty.

I turned a corner and found myself in an open plaza. Benches and shrubbery doting the expanse. It looked like the type of place you'd expect to be a shopping center. But not being able to read left me a bit unsure. I didn't want to go walking into a coffee shop asking to speak with the butcher or something like that.

My eyes scanned over the litany of stores and settled on one of them. This one wasn't anything special looking, compared to its neighbors. It was a bit worn, a bit run down, and in need of a fresh coat of paint. But the kicker? I could read the sign hung over its door.

 _'Byzantium's Tailory: High grade Garments and Alterations'_

I looked at the building for a moment. I was happy, I'd have finally found something I could actually read in this weird-ass world. English was here somewhere, even if it was harder to find than a mentally stable nightkin. But why did it have to be on a clothing store?

"… Well, maybe it wouldn't hurt to see what's inside." I say, staring down at my uniform. I'd neglected to change during my mad dash to the airship. It was probably the closest I had to a clean set of clothes anyway, everything else was starting to get a little rank. Detergent was also on my list.

I walk down the sidewalk and over to the shop. I grab the door handle and pull it open. The Shop's interior betrayed its otherwise shabby appearance. There was no denying that the place was old, but it'd aged like wine. The floor was old scuffed wood. Stained wood shelves lined the walls, filled with various articles of clothing. Cloth mannequins displayed dressings of impressive quality and style. Soft lights trickled down from stained glass fixtures. This place felt old, it looked old, and it probably was old.

"What do you want?" A voice growled from a nearby register.

I took note of a Burly looking man leaning against a counter. He was probably around Lanius's height from before Hoover Dam. That was about the only similarity though. The man I was looking at right now had more mass to him than most supermutants. One of his fore arms was thicker than a Brahmin's neck and his shoulders were broad enough to carry an adult Yao Guai. Hell, he looked like he wrestled them for fun. He had curly dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and a small goatee. His mouth with big, with thin lips and a solid jaw. His eyes were bright and sharp, dark brown in color to the point of being nearly black. Probably the most striking thing though, were the horns that curved down the side of his head. They were gleaming Ivory, and ringed with carvings and knotwork. Even if they were just another head ornament, like that girl's bunny ears, they definitely caught your eye.

In short, the man was striking.

"… You gonna answer me or what?" He reiterated, his voice an irritated growl.

"-Pardon?"

"tsk. Not too bright, are you?"

'… Ok, this guy's an asshole, duly noted.'

"You treat all potential clients like that?" I ask

"Feh, client, right. Next you'll tell me you think the maidens are real. Look, if you're here to cause trouble, I'll give you five seconds to leave before I just toss you out."

"Take it easy, I just saw the sign and figured I'd take a look. No need to get all twisted up about it."

"… Whatever, just don't break anything."

The mountain of a man shifted his focus down to the register. Not sure what his problem was, you'd think he was expecting me to treat him like shit or something. I pushed the man's abrasiveness to the back of my mind and began to wander the store. I was right with my previous observation, every piece of clothing was of impressive quality. Though I was less sure if that was by design or personal inexperience. Most of the _fancy_ clothes I've had any experience with were grimy rags from before the bombs fell. For all I knew these clothes could crumble if held wrong.

'… But they look nice, can't really complain about that.'

I pulled some clothes from the shelves and examined them. They were soft and smelled strongly of dye. Either they were recently made or hadn't been washed, either one was possible.

"Hey, you got a fitting room here?" I ask, holding a shirt up in front of me

"Uh… yeah, it's in the back." The man seemed confused by my request.

I took the clothes and walked into a small booth at the back of the building. I quickly changed into the clothes and was pleased. This was probably the first time I'd worn something so comfortable. Good clothes weren't cheap and Vegas wasn't in the business of making anything new yet.

I stepped out of the booth, decked out in the new clothing. A Black vest, Violet button up, and probably the most comfortable pair of Jeans I'd ever worn.

"These are nice." I say, examining myself in a mirror. "You made them, right?"

"… Yeah, I did… Are you interested in buying them?"

"Kinda, yeah. This is a clothes shop, right?"

The man looked at me for a moment, a look of skepticism and surprise mixed on his face.

"… Is there anything I can help you with then?"

"Depends, you got any nightwear?"

"… Sleep wear, lingerie, or party attire?"

"What's the difference?"

…

"Alright team RWBY, listen up!" Ruby shouted, standing in front of her teammates. "The decision that awaits us is perhaps the most important to date!"

A silence passed over the cadre of teenagers.

"… What movie do you guys want to see?"

"Is this really the time to be doing this?" Weiss asked indignantly "Professor Port has assigned a test next week and we should be preparing for it."

"Psh, it won't be _that_ hard." Yang interrupted with a cocky grin "It's literally the second week. It's probably just on basic stuff."

"Even if it is, we should be preparing for it. Also, why isn't the idiot in the gas mask doing this?"

"He ran away." Blake said, nose buried into another book.

"He went _AWOL_ " Ruby corrected with a huff "As soon as I find him I'm going to make sure he understands how disappointed I am."

Ruby thought back to the previous day, when she'd had the idea for the team to get to know each other better. She'd gathered them together in the bedroom and the moment the words "team building" left her mouth he'd bolted out the door. Despite her speed far surpassing his, Ruby could not find Six. His stealth mode was too strong.

"Anyway-" Ruby said, focusing "-What do we want to see?"

"How about that new kung-fu flick?" Yang offered "'Kingdom of the Hidden Dragon' or something."

"Of course _you'd_ want to see something so basic." Weiss said snidely "I'd much rather see 'the Duchess Bride'"

"I've actually been wanting to see 'The Scroll'." Blake added

"Wasn't that based on a book?" Yang asked.

"Guys, guys-" Ruby spoke up confidently "The choice is obvious! We should see Claws!"

Before any of her teammates, the airship they were riding on jolted to a halt. They'd arrived in Vale. The team of teenagers disembarked the ship and began to walk the darkening streets. They continued their bickering as the Movie theater drew closer.

"What's wrong with seeing a Kung-fu movie?" Yang asked indignantly.

"They're boorish and full of people punching each other." Weiss responded

"But those are the best movies!"

"They most certainly are _not._ "

"I agree with Weiss on this one." Blake said in agreement

"Thank you." Weiss said in exaggeration

"Traitor!" Yang shouted

"But at least they're better than some fantasy B-movie." Blake added with a smirk

"Hey!"

"Then let's just go see Claws!" Ruby insisted enthusiastically

"I am _not_ going to see some trashy horror movie or a half-baked romance movie."

Blake began to glare at Weiss while Ruby looked sullenly at the ground.

"You better not start insulting Nicholas Sparse." Blake said heatedly

"What, I'm not allowed to have an opinion?"

"I think you can both save your opinions for later." Yang said, coming to a stop.

The team of teenagers realized that they'd arrived at the theater and came to a stop. Upon looking up at the Marquee however, they came to an unfortunate realization. They were all over a half hour late to their films.

"Aw." Ruby groaned in disappointment

"Great, now we'll have to see a later show." Weiss grumbled

"That's not so bad." Blake said

"Yeah, now we can go do some shopping." Yang said with a grin.

"… I suppose that's not so bad." Weiss admitted begrudgingly. "We should have about another hour or two before the next showing."

"Ooh ooh!" Ruby said with renewed excitement "There's this new shop that just opened up a few blocks down that I wanted to go see. Come on!"

Ruby suddenly grabbed Weiss by the arm. Before the maiden in white could respond she was ripped from her feet and disappeared in a fury of rose petals and sound. Yang and Blake remained standing in front of the theater.

"… Well, that leaves you and me." Yang said with a smile.

"It looks that way." Blake said

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"I'm actually thinking about going to visit a friend."

"Cool, let's go then." Yang walked a little ahead of Blake.

"Yeah… sorry about this."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Yang turned to look at Blake and saw that her partner was giving her a guilty smile. It lasted for a moment or two before Blake's shadow clone released its form and faded into a black mist on the ground.

"… Well, isn't that just nice of her." Yang said to no one in particular. "Leaving her partner all alone on the sidewalk. So much for team building."

The Golden haired brawler kicked some pebbles and continued walking down the sidewalk. She walked the streets a while longer, attempting to occupy herself with whatever she could find. This was failing however, as she only found herself growing more and more agitated.

"Ugh, this is so boring! There's got to be something better to do"

Yang scanned the surrounding city with a bored glare. All of the shops were still open, but there was nothing that caught her interest. She didn't need groceries or dust. Her scroll was working just fine. She wasn't in the mood to go drinking, it just wasn't any fun without friends. She was just bored.

"… Maybe I ought to go find Ruby and Weiss. Or maybe I can find Blake if I look hard enough. She couldn't have gotten-"

Before Yang could finish her sentence her eyes scanned over a run-down looking tailor shop. Under normal circumstances, it probably never would have caught her eye. Under normal circumstances though, she wouldn't have expected to see a certain gas mask wearing boy standing inside. Trying on some very nice looking clothes.

"Hmm." Yang said a devious smile creeping across her face. "This could work."

…

The man walked back into the room, carrying a set of Pajamas. The material was soft and slightly shiny. For the past few minutes the man with the horns had been walking into and out of the back, bringing clothes that fit better or came in different colors. Quite frankly, it was surprisingly good customer service.

"This is _nice_." I say, holding the nightwear up by the shoulders. "They look to be about my size too."

"That's why I just took your measurements." The man said. "Wanted to make sure you wouldn't be tripping over it.

"Good business sense you got there- uh… Huh, Guess I never bothered asking your name, did I?"

"No, no you didn't." The man extended a meaty paw to me. "Byzantium, Byzantium Porphyra."

"Nice to meet ya." I clasped Byzantium's hand and gave a firm shake. "Call me Six."

Byzantium gave me a strange look.

"Yea, I know, not a very common name."

'But neither is Byzantium'

"I've heard worse." Byzantium grunted "Tell me something though, what brought you in?"

"… Personal reasons mostly. Plus I have a habit of walking into run-down buildings and finding treasure."

Byzantium's previously amiability quickly evaporated as he began glaring at me.

"Easy, easy-" I say, verbally back pedaling "-I mean it in the best way. There are very few times I'm actually willing to pay for clothes when I can just cobble something together."

Byzantium nodded, clearly not buying into the explanation completely. But he also wasn't trying to push me out the door so I'm assuming he got what I meant. "Tailoring's been the family trade for a long time. Took to it after we got tired of getting stuck in the dust mines."

'Dust mines? Who the hell mines dust?... Can you mine dust? I thought it just sort of appears…'

"Then why work in a building like this? This place looks about ready to cave in."

"It's all I can afford, Lot of people don't take kindly to a faunus run business being in the middle of the central market."

Byzantium began to gather the clothes I'd chosen and was heading towards the register.

'Faunus, there's that word again. What does it mean? This guy looks completely normal except for his choice in headwear.'

I shrugged and joined Byzantium at the register. I can't remember the last time I'd actually been willing to _buy_ clothes off of someone rather than just scavenge what I wanted off of corpses. I folded my uniform up and stashed it in a bag alongside a set of night wear, two pairs of pants, four shirts, three ties, and two different vests. I was going to be set on clothes at least. I was wearing some more relaxed clothes at the moment, I was planning to wear them out rather than my uniform. Plus, now I look _damn_ fine. Byzantium could probably give the White Glove Society a run for their money with their _'look at how dapper and dandy we are'_ shtick.

"Alright, totaling everything up.-" Byzantium said, punching some keys on the register " Your total comes to two hundred and fifty lien."

I stare silently at the register. Byzantium couldn't tell thanks to the helmet, but I'd gone wide eyed. Once again I'd made a very stupid mistake. I still had no clue what this place used as money. I was broke.

"Everything alright?" Byzantium asked

"Uh… Yeah. Just- just give me a sec."

I scrambled through my inventory at lightning speed. I didn't have much on me. A few caps for posterity and some random bits of junk that got left lying around. You know, just in case I ever decide to make something. Get the feeling Byzantium won't trade the clothes for a couple bits of rusted steel and a bottle of turpentine though.

"You-uh- willing to barter?" I ask nervously, starting to place items on to the shop counter.

Byzantium snorted "Barter? By the uniform I'd have thought you were going to Beacon. What, no money?"

"Yea, it's just… I come from an area that doesn't _exactly_ rely on-uh… lien to pay for things."

"Ah, so you're from the frontier?"

"… in a sense, yes."

'This place has a frontier?'

I've learned more in just fifteen minutes of shopping than I have in the past week. If things continue like this I might just ditch the school and just wander around. Although, that _might_ not get me back to the Mojave any faster.

"… Yea, I'll barter with you." Byzantium agreed at last. "Won't change my prices though, so you'll have to make an offer."

I gave a relieved sigh. Emptying my pockets onto the counter, I sorted through miscellaneous items. Whetstones, tincans, silverware, and items of varying purpose crowded the counter. I couldn't fit all of it on the counter, plus I wasn't carrying all of it, but I fit a good deal of items on it. By the time I stopped throwing items down, Byzantium looked like he was regretting his decision to barter.

"… That's a lot of garbage." He said flatly.

"I prefer the term dirty knick knacks."

Byzantium looked over the salvage briefly. Apparently trying to be fair in the trading we were attempting. Which was hard given the quality of the items before him. Maybe I knew what he could do with a few sensor modules, a leaf blower, and a length of surgical tubing; but he didn't. But I was going to either have to get him to go along with it or figure something else out.

"Hrmm…" Byzantium grunted "I don't have a lot of need for whetstones or tableware. I'm also pretty sure nothing here is worth the materials and labor either."

"Well… maybe there's something else I could offer."

"Not unless you're good with your hands." Byzantium gave an amused snort.

I stopped reaching though my pockets and looked at the horned man. "Come again?"

Byzantium stayed quiet for a moment as he thought about the way he'd worded that.

"Not like that, get your mind out of the gutter. I meant like with practical things like repairs or something."

"… Go on." I encouraged.

"… Well… the thing is my sewing machine crapped out on me a week or two back. I may not have a high demand for clothes most of the time, but having to spend most of mine working by hand leaves less time for other things."

"Like actually running your shop?" I ask curiously

"Yep, basically." Byzantium gave his best poker face. "I've tried fixing it, but I don't have a clue what I'm doing and It's not like I have the money to replace it… Anyway, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't know how to help."

…

I snapped the cover of the sewing machine back into place and stepped back.

"Give her a shot." I say, gesturing Byzantium towards the machine.

The towering man walked up to the machine and flipped a switch. There was a slow whirring that grew in frequency as the machine sprang to life. An amazed smile spread across his face.

"You fixed it." He said elatedly "How- how did you-"

"You learn to make do on the frontier." I say with a smirk, though I know he couldn't see it. "Fixing something like that was easy enough. Just don't ask me to do windows."

"Yeah, I guess." Byzantium was still smiling "You just saved me a lot of trouble doing this."

"And made some dapper clothes to boot. Speaking of, What else do I owe you for them?"

"Psh, forget it." Byzantium waved his hand. "Consider yourself paid in full."

'-and that was what I was waiting to hear.'

Me and Byzantium left the small workshop and returned to the store proper. I collected my bags and ambled towards the door.

"Pleasure doing business with you Byzantium, I know where I'm coming the next time I need clothes."

"Likewise, be sure to tell your friends to." He added sarcastically.

I stopped and thought for a moment. "… quick question, where's the nearest grocer's? I'm kinda lost actually."

Byzantium stared at me for a moment then started laughing. "-heh, Is that why you came in here?"

"… perhaps."

"*snrk* Well, if you're looking for the grocery store, head left out of the shop and walk to the market's edge, can't miss it."

"Thank you." I nod and push my way out of the shop. By now the sun had completely set and the street was bathed in the cold glow of its street lamps. There were people walking the streets, clearly relaxed and just looking to enjoy their evening. Most normal businesses had probably closed shop for the night already. Part of me wondered for a moment if this is what the old world was like at night.

"Well don't you clean up nice." A familiar feminine voice spoke to my right.

The other part of me was too busy trying not to leap out of my skin.

I looked to my right and leaning against the building was familiar pair of legs and a billowing cascade of blonde hair. Yang fixed me with her lilac eyes and gave me a smirk. She was dressed in the same clothes she'd worn the day of the initiation, short cut brown jacket with matching skirt/kilt/thing, black short shorts, knee length boots and a smattering of reds, oranges, and yellows.

"Bu- wha- wher- you-" I said eloquently

"Aw, what's the matter?" Yang said, poking fun "can't handle a little compliment?"

"H-how? How did you get here?" I asked in disbelief

"What do you mean 'how did I get here'? I took the airship."

"But the last one ran over an hour ago, I literally had to bust my ass just to get to it on time."

"… wait, is that why you ran out of class so fast?"

I remained silent as Yang looked at me. The smile on her face was growing wider as looked at her blankly.

"Did you not look at the flight schedule?" She asked

"… didn't know there was one."

Yang burst out laughing. I could feel my face getting warm underneath my helmet. An odd recurring feeling as of late.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I say, trying to sound unaffected by her laughter.

"We *hehe* were planning on coming here." Yang was slowly pushing her laughter down. "Ruby wanted to do the whole 'team building' exercise here in Vale. If you'd stuck around you would've heard that."

'Wonderful, now I look like a dumbass.'

"-So, what're you up to?" Yang continued "I wasn't expecting to see you here after you spent all of yesterday running away from my little sis."

"J-just some shopping." I raise one of my clothing bags as an example. "Been trying to get here for the last week to get some groceries."

"It never occurred to you over the past week to check the ship schedule?"

I could see Yang's smile starting to grow again. I wasn't in the mood to be made fun of.

"This conversation's over."

I turned and began walking off in the direction of the grocery store. Before I got too far though, Yang ran up next to me and slapped me on the shoulder.

'Strange, normally when I do that people just walk away.'

"Aw, don't be like that." Yang nagged jovially "What's the rush? We can get your stuff and just hang out."

"No offense Yang, but I'm really just looking to find my way around. I just want to get this over with so I can get on with my night."

"Then why don't I show you around." Yang grabbed my hand and beginning to lead the way. "You'll get done a lot faster if someone shows you around."

I tried to free my hand but the blonde had a grip like iron. Despite my strength she pulled me forward, in the complete opposite direction of the grocery store.

"Hey, I'm trying to find the grocery store." I say, trying to get Yang to let go.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find it. C'mon!"

…

We wandered for about an hour as Yang dragged me from shop to shop. We visited everything from shoe stores to hardware stores, but we didn't once stop at a grocery store. Each time we'd finish at one Yang would grab me by the arm and haul me off to another one kicking and screaming. I couldn't buy anything since I didn't have any lien with me so running around and looking didn't make a whole lot of sense. Even Yang didn't buy anything and I'm pretty sure she has money.

Probably the only saving grace to it was Yang's bubbly attitude. With each store we ran into she just kept this chipper smile on her face. It was disarming, despite the fact I knew this girl could probably go toe to toe with a death claw and win. Provided it wasn't coated in armor.

We rounded a corner and Yang slowed to a stop. We looked out over the market square we'd left earlier.

"Well…" Yang said with a nervous smile "You got any idea where that grocery store is?"

I looked at the surrounding buildings. Still not able to read a single word on the signage. I did however, look through the now lit-up windows of the stores. I found the grocery store Byzantium had directed me to with ease. I'm just glad we'd basically gone in a giant circle.

"Over there." I motioned to the store and started walking.

"Oh! Huh, didn't think it was that close."

'I was trying to tell you that, but you didn't listen.'

I pushed open the glass door and walked in. I had to fight the urge to not stop dead in my tracks. This was by far the most food I'd ever seen in one place. There were shelves lining the entirety of the store, stocked with vibrantly colored boxes and bags. Fresh fruits sat openly on displays, gleaming like jewels in the light. Meats sat behind glass like treasure, cuts of every variety and origin, waiting to be cooked. The smell of fresh baked bread and pastries wafted through the air, warm and yeasty.

This place was a hungry wastelander's wet dream and I was living it.

"So what did you need to pick up?" Yang asked

"-huh?" I ask, struggling to regain focus as I watched a fresh batch of cup sized cakes were taken from an oven.

"I'm guessing you had some idea what you were going to pick up, right?"

"Totally, totally." I watched as a butcher began cutting roasts. Even raw they looked absolutely fantastic.

"…You feeling ok Six?"

A woman picked up several apples from the displays. Orbs of red and green that made the ones I found in the Mojave look like garbage. I wanted to grab one, rip my mask off, and rip into it like a wild dog to a mole rat.

A series of light taps on my helmet broke me free from my stupor.

"You in there Six?" Yang asked, confused

"Uh, yeah, yeah. Sorry."

"You sure? You were kinda zoned out there."

"Yeah, I'm good." I started walking further into the store.

'Just never seen so much food.'

If there was any place like this in the Mojave, I guarantee you some crazy scavenger would try and claim the whole thing for himself.

Chances are _I_ would be that Crazy Scavenger. But that's not the point.

I was aware of my lack in funds and kept that in mind as I grabbed a basket. If this place was willing to barter then I might have more luck than I did with Byzantium. But even if I did, I had no way to gauge how much of what I was carrying was worth something. So I had to keep it simple. I grabbed a couple pieces of fruit, some bread, some coffee beans, and a bunch of other necessities.

"That's an interesting diet you got there." Yang chuckled

"Whatever keeps me from keeling over." I placed a third can of beans into the basket

"I guess you've got a thing for beans too?"

"They're high in protein, fiber, calories, and everything else a growing boy needs." I say with a hidden smirk.

"You know, if you ate with us at the cafeteria you'd probably be able to get all that without eating just beans."

"Perhaps."

"… Come to think of it, You haven't eaten with us once this past week."

"Yea? Glad you noticed."

"What, you afraid we'll make fun of your love of beans?"

"Nope, just prefer to eat outside. Better scenery."

'And I don't have to try and hide my face then.'

"If you say so." Yang rolled her eyes. "Though I know Ruby hasn't been too happy with your constant vanishing acts."

"Well, it's what I do. I'm sure I'll find a way to make it up to her or something if it bothers her that much."

I stop throwing food into my basket and begin walking towards the front of the store. There were a few registers to choose from, all manned by people who looked like they hated themselves. I chose one and began handing the items to the cashier, a young woman with freckles and a ponytail.

"Just a quick question" I say, handing a can of beans to be scanned. "You guys barter, right?"

The cashier looked at me funny. Like I'd just said a string of cuss-words, thinking they'd make a sentence.

"Barter?" Yang asked "Like they do on the frontier?"

"Yea, that a problem?"

"It is, actually, sir." The cashier cut in. "I'm afraid that you can't legally barter with us. Corporate policy"

'Damn you corporations! First Vault–tec and now this.'

"… You do have money to pay, right?" Yang asked

I raised a finger, preparing to say something. Then I thought better of it. There probably wasn't much I could say to get someone who made less than I did running Vegas to exchange food for turpentine.

"… One moment please."

I began searching through my inventory at break neck pace. Maybe I couldn't barter with them, but that didn't mean I couldn't find something that would work as a stand in for money.

'Caps? No, already been down that road.'

'Pre-war bills? Nope, I get the feeling legal tender here is a bit different.'

'Casino chips?... Wait, where are these ones from?'

I took out one of the chips and examined it for a second. It wasn't your standard chip, it was fully metal and the color of brass. . The octagonal piece of metal held a Greco-Roman portrait of a feminine face. It was impressed into the piece, staring upon a set of initials: SM.

It was a chip from the Sierra Madre.

A shiver shot down my spine as thoughts of that accursed villa filled my mind. Every muscle in me tensed for a moment, ready to reach for the non-existent gun at my hip. Then I breathed, reminding myself I wasn't currently surrounded by the violet cloud. I wasn't waiting for some collar to blow my brains out. Though if I couldn't find some way to pay for groceries, I just might do that.

'… Yea, not opening up _that_ can of worms right now.'

"Sir, that's not going to work either." The cashier said impatiently

I realized I was still standing there, holding the brassy chip in my hand. I slid it back into a pocket and kept searching for something to pay with. The chip had given me an idea however. I reached a little further into my inventory and pulled out a small leather sack.

'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.'

I undid the drawstring of the sack and fished around in it for a second. When I withdrew my fingers, I brought with them two legion denarius. They probably wouldn't recognize the legion part, but silver should still be worth _something_ here right?

"What about these?" I hold the coins up for the cashier to see. "Triple 9 grade, and about an ounce in weight."

The cashier went bug-eyed for a moment. She stared at the pair of coins I was holding in front of her. I looked a little off to my side and noticed Yang was having similar ocular issues.

"T-that'll work." The cashier said, holding out her hand.

I dropped the bits of silver into her palm and did a silent victory dance in my head. This was probably the first time I'd ever actually succeeded in getting someone to accept legion coin. On that note, I should probably try figuring out how much these things are worth here.

The register made a grinding noise and a slip of paper was spat out. The cashier handed it to me alongside a small multi-colored card.

"Here's your change sir." She said shakily

"Thank you" I say with a nod. "Enjoy your day, alright?"

"Uh, yeah… you too sir."

I collect my food-stuffs and make for the exit. Yang seemed to stand in stunned silence for a moment, only realizing I was leaving as the door opened.

Back on the street, I returned the small leather pouch to my inventory and waited for Yang to catch up. She meandered out of the store, still looking at me like I had two heads.

"You doing ok?" I ask

"Y-yea just… where did you get that kind of money?"

"… found it, why?"

"Because I don't think I've ever seen someone pay for groceries with silver coins before."

"… I take it that it isn't that common?"

Yang blinked, the stunned look on her face vanished and a wicked smirk to its place. "Oh no, it is, just kind of surprised to see you carrying it around."

"… rrriiiiiiight." I say unsure of how much I was trusting Yang at the moment.

"So, what's next?" Yang asked, regaining her previous energetic attitude.

"Well my shopping is done, so I'm probably going to head back to Beacon now."

"Aw, Really? Don't you want to stick around and have some fun?"

"No, thanks. I'd prefer to go back and catch up on some sleep."

"You sure? Ruby was really disappointed you didn't want to join us."

"Yeah, well that's sad and all but I've had a long week and don't feel like spending my down time chasing criminals or whatever Ruby does in her free time."

Yang looked at me in confusion. "That's not what Ruby does."

'The first time I met her begs to differ.'

"Look, I'm tired and just want to unwind. Why don't… you…"

"Six?"

I looked across the street that was directly facing me. It was a shady looking place. Tinted Windows and Neon signs covered the thing. I couldn't read any of it but I knew exactly what it was just by looking at it.

"Should I be concerned the one place I can recognize on sight is a liquor store?"

"What do you mean?" Yang asked

"Oh, uh, nothing. Hey, could you hold onto these for a minute?"

I passed my groceries off to Yang and walked briskly across the street to the store. Time to see if my luck was going to continue to hold.

*fifteen minutes later*

I found myself flying through the doorway and smacking against the pavement. The lower portion of my gas mask clicked against the asphalt and cocked my head painfully to the side.

"Beat it kid!" The shop owner said, slamming the door closed behind me

"Well that looks like it went well." Yang said with a smirk

"Fuckin' asshole-" I groan, picking myself up off the ground. "My money's good, why didn't he let me buy anything?"

It had gone down simply enough. I walked in, grabbed a bunch of different bottles, and went to pay for them. The guy starts checking me out and asks for an I.D., I tell him I don't have one. Then he starts yelling at me about how I shouldn't be in there and throws me out when I offer to 'lose' some extra coins.

"It might've had something to do with you being underage." Yang continued to smirk. "Aren't too many places that'll serve anyone our age."

'… Oh, right, forgot that I wasn't grown-ass man anymore. I look like a teenage twit.'

It hadn't been something I'd really thought about. For the most part I didn't feel any different. It wasn't unless I looked in a mirror that I'd be reminded I was a bit different than I had been. Guess it wasn't so hard for other people to notice. I stared vacantly at the liquor store for a moment.

"You ok?" Yang asked

"… Yeah, I'm good."

'Screw this place, I got the know-how. I'll just make my own stuff and it'll be ten times better than their swill.'

Yang and I started walking the streets. I didn't really have a destination now, I was just wandering until I decided to go find the ship back.

"Where to next?" Yang asked

"Not sure, I got most of what I needed already. There might be one or two other things I should go looking for though."

"Like what?"

"… Not sure if I should say exactly."

"Aw, don't be like that." Yang smirked again and nudge my shoulder. "We're teammates, y'know: buds."

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure it's a problem you can help with anyway."

"Hmph, try me."

I was hesitant to go around flashing how literally alien I was to the unnamed world. But, if their reaction to the denarius was anything to go by, I may actually be able to get some answers… screw it.

I reached up to the block of steel on my arm and grabbed hold of a small latch on it. I popped open a small compartment, relieving several pieces of steel framed microfilm. I ejected one of them and held it up for Yang to see, taking care not to let her see the contents.

"You know where I can find something like this?"

Yang reached out to take the piece of microfilm and I had to fight the urge to snatch it away. From the way she looked at it though she wasn't really trying to figure out what was on it and was just confused.

"What is it?" She asked

'And that implies you got no clue how to help me.'

"You know what film is?" I ask in return

"Yeah, like old movies and cameras right?"

"Bingo, what you've got there is a piece of _micro_ film. It's meant to hold information like maps and documents."

"Oh, ok. Then why do you need more of it?"

"Because half the reason I've been letting you lead me around is because I don't have a map of Vale."

'Half the reason.'

"Well, I can't really help you, sorry."

"It's alright, I kinda figured anyway." I slid the microfilm back into its tray and clasped it shut.

"You want some advice though? You should try asking Ruby, she's always been a bit more techy than me."

The image of Ruby trying to rip my arm off to examine the pip boy flitted through my mind.

"Y-yea, I'll keep that in mind. It's not a big issue right now though."

"Your right, it's actually pretty small. Almost _micro_ scopic."

I looked at Yang intently as a big smile swept across her face.

"… That was terrible. Please don't do that again."

Yang rolled her eyes, clearly pleased with herself.

"… unless I'm allowed to _film_ it."

I promptly slapped my hand against my face. Yang snapped her fingers and gave an even bigger smile

'Did I really just say that out loud?'

"You're a bad influence." I say, rubbing my mask.

"What do you mean? I'm a great influence. I got you to talk didn't I?"

"Yet you still know jack-all about me."

"eh, one thing at a time. Speaking of film though."

Yang came to a stop suddenly and looked up. At this point I realized that I'd basically been following her blindly since we'd left the grocery store. Above us, ringed in lights, was a sign with names and times on it. Above that was an embossed neon sign the read 'theater'.

"We should be just about on time." Yang said, looking at the sign.

"In time for wha- wait a minute."

"Come on Weiss, we're gonna be late!" Shouted an all too familiar high pitched voice.

I turned around and watched as Ruby and Weiss rounded a corner, carry a large canvas bag.

"Hey Yan-" Ruby stopped speaking the instant she locked eyes with my helmet.

'OH SHI-'

Before I could even react Ruby slammed into me at the speed of sound. She would have knocked me to the ground if I wasn't built like a stone wall.

"You're not getting away this time Six!" Ruby practically shouted, "Yang! Hold him!"

"Take it easy Ruby" Yang chuckled "Six agreed to stick around."

"He did?"

"I did?" I ask, confused

"Yep, In fact he also agreed to buy pizza afterwards to make it up to you for yesterday."

"He did?" Ruby asked excitedly, immediately releasing me from her grasp

'The Hell I di-'

Before I could actually say anything Yang gave me a small jab in the kidneys.

"After all" She whispered in my ear "I'm sure we wouldn't want Ms. Goodwitch to hear about a certain student actively trying to buy alcohol, now would we?"

'Is… is she blackmailing me? She's fucking blackmailing me!'

"Or about a certain gas mask wearing student who is keeping a loaded shotgun in their room"

'…'

"Yup, my treat tonight." I say through gritted teeth.

"Yay!" Ruby cheered like an excited child. "Also, nice clothes."

"Oh, uh, thanks. Just got 'em today."

"Good to know you at least know how to clean yourself up." Weiss added snidely

"Where'd you get them" A fourth voice asked as Blake appeared from out of view. I noticed Yang give her a tiny glare of annoyance.

"Little shop over in the market. Nice place, I'll give you the name later if you want."

"They're not _that_ good." Weiss added again.

"Anyway!" Ruby said, trying to pull the conversation back on track. "We still haven't decided what we were going to see."

"See?" I ask

"Yea, we're going to see a movie as a 'team building' exercise" Yang said

"What!? Why didn't you tell me about that!"

"I was going to, then you ran away." Ruby answered

"Oh… You should probably lead with that next time, I thought it was going to be something crazy like hunting Grimm for fun or egging Goodwitch's house."

"no, that's not till' later." Yang clarified

I didn't really show it, but I was actually very excited by this revelation. Do you know how many functioning projectors there are in the Mojave? Let alone actual film reels to play on them? This was going to be a trip, and I wanted in.

"So, what were we going to see?"

"That's what we were trying to decide, My vote was for Claws."

"Mine was the Duchess Bride." Weiss chimed

"I wanted to see the Scroll" Blake added

"And I wanted to see the Kingdom of the Hidden Dragon"

'None of this means anything to me since I don't know what they're about.'

"… I guess the dragon one sounds cool."

Yang raised her hands excitedly. While Ruby made a small whimpering and Blake sighed.

"But it's just going to be people punching each other for two hours!" Weiss shouted in annoyance

'… That sounds like the best kind of movie.'

* * *

 **A/N: There she is, after about a month of working on it. Sorry if the chapter was a bit lack luster this time, trying to pace myself with this so I don't get burned out on it. Also, sorry if the perspective change early on was a bit jarring, mostly just testing for potential later uses. Got a few questions that were asked and I figured I should address them.**

 **First up: "The Headless Chicken", At this point in time there really aren't too many plans for that, I'm mostly playing it by how far I can get. So it's a solid maybe rn, sorry.**

 **Second: "LilBird04": I mentioned at the start of the second chapter that the police confiscated all of Six's chems. While we may know that stimpacks aren't addictive or hazardous to your health, your uninitiated joe shmoe wouldn't. Short answer? They took them, thinking it was more heroine or something.**

 **That's all I got for now, as usual I appreciate all of your thoughts and reviews. Your questions are welcome and I'll see you again soon. Peace.**

 **-Ash**


	6. Word in the Book

Indeed it was, in fact, the best kind of movie.

At least _I_ thought it was anyway. Weiss seemed displeased by the whole thing, but that's par for the course. It lasted about two hours and was something I was going to remember for the rest of my life. After the reel ran out we left the theater and meandered over to a restaurant called a 'Pizzeria'. I didn't bother trying to make a run for it this time. At this point Yang had basically made it clear I was either going to make it up to Ruby or get the shaft.

So we went to eat.

We stumbled across one at a street corner. A small brick building rimmed with windows and neon lights. We'd gone in, sat at a round wood table, and placed an order. Before they got the food to us they delivered a drink order. Though they didn't serve alcohol, not that they'd let us buy anyway, there were at least a few other beverages on tap. They also didn't serve sarsaparilla apparently, but it didn't matter too much. I wasn't going to be eating or drinking anyway. Though I was liable to regret this decision given the array of delectable scents that wafted through the filters of my gas mask.

As we waited for the pizza, we had a chance to discuss the movie.

"That… wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be." Weiss admitted sheepishly

"It was better than I was expecting." Blake agreed "I still want to see the Scroll though"

"We'll see it next time." Ruby said with a nod "so far, I'd say this has been a success."

I nodded in agreement with this. I wasn't saying it but I literally loved every second of it. If old world movies were anything like that I needed to track down any remaining reels ASAP.

"What'd you think Six?" Ruby asked

"I think it's one of the greatest things I've ever seen." I say absent mindedly

"I wouldn't go _that_ far." Yang said "It was kinda cheesy."

"Really, _you_ thought it was cheesy?" Weiss asked skeptically "You were the one that wanted to see it."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I thought it was perfect."

"Perfection is based on taste." I continue without thinking "When you've got no prior example even something mediocre can leave an impact."

"So, what, you've never seen a movie before?" Weiss asked

"Nope, not much room for movies out in the Mojav- Frontier."

At the last second I caught myself before I said something that might put me in a less ideal situation. I needed to bury my current star-struck mindset if I was going to avoid further trouble. The four girls looked at me strangely as I silently hoped none of them noticed my slip-up.

"The Mojav frontier?" Ruby asked in confusion.

'Not good, not good.'

"J-just the frontier." I say, carefully trying to backpedal without them noticing. "The Mojav is just something from my area."

"Oh, well where would that be?" Ruby continued curiously "The frontier's pretty big."

'shit, shit, Don't say west. Don't say west. Don't say-'

"To the east a ways."

'Idiot! That's not any better!'

"Ok… where?"

'… ok, need to think of a plan, this is going worse than when Ozpin and I had that chat… wait, that's it!'

"Y'see, the thing is… I couldn't tell you, sorry."

The four girls looked at me, unamused.

"Hey, it's not like I don't want to, but the truth is I really don't know."

"How could you not know where you're from?" Weiss asked

"Because my parents were a couple of idiot loners who kept me stuck in the mountains."

The girls were now much more interested in what I had to say, it at least _seemed_ like I was telling them the truth. Which was what I needed right now.

"My parents kept me cooped up in this small compound they'd built." I continued my lie. "They home schooled me, made sure I at least knew a few basics. Didn't bother teaching me how to read a map though."

"Mhmm" Ruby continued, confused

"After a while, I got tired of being stuck in the mountains. So I packed a bag and decided to take a walk."

"Just like that?" Weiss asked

"Yes, just like that." I say "Anyway, I start walking and keep walking for a while. After a few days, I realized I had no idea where I was and had no clue where my home was."

A look of worry suddenly washed over each of the girls. They seemed to be guessing where my lie was heading.

"So, I kept walking. I figured eventually I'd find something that could point me the right way… never did, so I just kept wandering."

"… is that what you meant?" Ruby asked

"What do you mean?"

"When I met you with Jaune the day before initiation, you said you traveled a lot. Are you still looking?"

'She's buying into it, sorry Ruby.'

"Nah, I stopped looking a while ago. Figured If I ever found my way home it'd happen. Just been traveling since then."

"What about combat school?" Weiss asked "You couldn't have gotten into Beacon without it."

'-and there's the kicker, gotta say something believable.'

"Well… I'm something of an odd case. I jumped around to a number of them while I was traveling. You know, get a roof over my head for a while and keep learning. Every time I moved on I'd just take some records with me and fill in the blanks wherever I wound up next."

The girls all looked a bit sad now. With the power of one, shakily, constructed lie I'd managed to ruin the night's entire mood. Wonderful.

"I-I'm sorry Six." Ruby said

"Don't be." I say, trying to carefully move topics away from my lie now. "Honestly it hasn't been all bad, I've gotten to see a bit of the world at least, even got to cross an ocean."

'… wait, why did I add that last part?... screw it, too late to go back now.'

"Ocean?" Blake asked, finally speaking up.

"Yeah, I'm _very_ lost. But I figured If I'd gone this far might as well keep going."

"So where would you be from then? Mistral?"

'That's an out, I'll have to remember it for later but I'm taking it.'

"Probably, though I don't really know for sure. I never bothered remembering too many of the names."

"What about that thing on your arm?" Yang asked

"What about it?"

"You said it has a map built into it, why don't you use that?"

'… oh crap, I forgot she knew that now.'

"I- I didn't have it when I left home. This thing will make markers for towns and cities if I find them, but only if I have it with me or have a map of the area."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean you wouldn't know the names of the cities you've been to, wouldn't it-"

"Sorry for the wait." A server interrupted, placing what I assume were the pizzas on the table. "Enjoy."

Before Yang could finish that line of thought, our food finally arrived. Two large circles of flatbread smeared with a red sauce, cheese, and coated with various toppings. Small red discs of meat, small fish, gray mushrooms, and chunks of pepper dotted the pizzas.

The girls shifted their attention to the pizzas and I took advantage, it was time to put this conversation to bed.

"Look, we're not here to talk about my past. We're here to have a good time. Let's just eat, it's my treat after all."

The girls looked at me for a moment then back to the pizza before finally letting the topic go for now. I was going to have to watch myself from here out. I'd just weaved a very complicated lie that I knew was going to bite me if wasn't careful.

Then a thought occurred to me. This was perhaps the longest length of time I'd actually spent with my present companions. Back during the first night I'd pretty much left the first chance I got and settled into my closet. I only really spent time with the four of them when I didn't have a choice, like classes. This was probably the longest stretch I'd been with them even _semi_ -willingly. Perhaps their curiosity was stemming from the fact that they really didn't know much about me.

"Soooo…" Yang said, apparently picking up what I was thinking. "Different question: Is Six your real name?"

"… 'Closest to one I got to one, yea."

"That's… cool?"

'Ah, wonderful. The return of small talk. Just what was missing from my day. Beats complicated lies I guess.'

"…What's with the weird mask?" Yang continued.

"Yang!" Ruby squeaked.

I fixed the blonde with a look. Well, that was blunt like a supersledge to the shin. Clearly tact was a word missing from her vocabulary. Even after a conversation like the one we'd just had. Fortunately for her, Foot in mouth syndrome is my specialty. Time to teach a lesson.

"It hides my horns." I say with a raspy growl.

All of their eyes go wide and silence returns to the table. Not sure why but they all got very rigid at my jab. Ruby's face paled, a flare of anger shot through Weiss's eyes, Yang looked like she just stepped on a bottle cap mine, and Blake just kinda stared with her mouth open. Though for some reason her bow seemed a bit… perkier, maybe?

"…R-really?" Yang asked uneasily.

"Oh Yeah. It also helps to hide my glowing red eyes and scaley skin. Not to mention the wonders it does for my forked tongue and fire bre-"

Ruby hocked a balled up napkin at my head. I couldn't help but smirk a little at that reaction.

"That's not funny Six." Ruby pouted

"Mmm." I rolled my eyes.

"It's not." Blake reiterated in a very heated tone.

I looked at the girl in black and could tell by the look in her eyes she hadn't liked my joke. You'd think I just insulted her or something.

"… does it matter?" I ask shifting topics back to my helmet. "It's nowhere near as odd as the stuff you ladies are wearing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss scoffed

"Not much, Ms. Petticoat. Though I must say, those wedges are to die for."

I heard Ruby snickering and turned my attention to her. "Oh don't even get me started on _you,_ tiny."

"Me!?" Ruby asked

"Yes, you. A miniskirt and cape? What are you, some kind of teenage superhero?"

"Hey, leave my sister out of this!" Yang cut back in.

"Oh don't think I've forgotten about you." I turned to Yang "You're probably the worst offender here!"

"Oh really?" Yang said with a challenging smirk.

"Yea, you're dressed in Booty shorts and a friggin' corset!"

Yang looked down at herself and adjusted her top slightly. "What's your point?"

I stare at her for a moment. "… Do your parents know you go out dressed like that?"

"Ok, you know what?" Ruby said, trying to quickly defuse the bomb I was probably making "Can we just enjoy dinner? Please?"

"… Y'know what? I've got a question for you two." Ignoring Ruby's request. "If you two are sisters, why do you look like polar opposites?"

The look Yang gave me made it clear I _definitely_ just armed that bomb Ruby had been trying to stop. She opened her mouth to say something, but never got the chance. Whatever she was planning to say was cut off as the wail of police sirens pierced the walls of the restaurant. Peering through a window, we watched as police car screeched around a corner, raced past the restaurant, and careened around another corner out of sight.

"… So I guess dinner is over?" I ask, getting this sinking feeling in my gut.

The only response I got was as my team's fearless leader bolted from her seat, a slice of pizza dangling out her mouth. She dashed out the door and after the cop car.

"Wonderful" the rest of the team took off after Ruby as I remained at table. One of the servers noticed this and approached me. "Check, please?"

…

Our server was kind enough to box up the remaining pizza for us. I left them a nice tip and followed after my teammates. It wasn't too hard, there were at least two other cop cars chasing after the first one. All I had to do was follow the sirens. It took me a few minutes but I found them. They were sitting out front of a store. The windows were blown out, the doors were ripped off the hinges, and the place looked like it was given a good whack with the ugly stick. Dozens of police were cordoning off the area, I found the girls standing near the yellow and black ticker tape. I approached, two cardboard boxes filled with pizza in hand. The girls took note of my presence as a pair of men wheeled a sheet covered body out on a stretcher. Obvious bloodstains dotted the otherwise pale sheet as the stretcher was loaded into an ambulance. The entire scene looked like a massacre. There were other bodies being loaded up and the whole place looked like something out of an Omerta 'house party'. It looked like a fiend had mixed psycho and slasher before deciding to try knocking over the Thorn. Trying and failing, that is.

The one body that hadn't been covered up yet was dressed in a black suit with a red tie, sunglasses, and a hat. There was giant hole in his chest, like someone had blasted him point blank with a shotgun. He looked like some dumb thug the Omertas would've hired. Given he was holding some sort of cleaver in his hand my guess about what happened probably wasn't too far off.

I began to hear murmurs from the crowd that was gathering around us.

"Another robbery."

"Looks like the morgue is gonna be full tonight."

"They blew the dust up"

"There are so many dead bodies."

"Do you think it was the white fang?"

"Fucking Faunus, they should just go back to Menagerie!"

"Fucking animals."

"They should've just taken the money."

"This used to be a safe neighborhood."

"Who's going to be next?"

"We should just kill them and be done with it."

'...Yikes' I might not have a lot of perspective about this world, but what these people had to say wasn't painting it in a very good light.

"This is horrible." Ruby said, surveying the carnage, visibly upset. "Who could've done something like this?"

"It probably was the White Fang." Weiss answered, looking over the scene angrily. "Something like this would probably be second nature to criminals like them."

"It wasn't them" Blake spoke up "Look at the guy in the suit, I get the feeling he wasn't some bystander in this."

"For all we know they could've hired someone to do it." Weiss seemed to be getting angrier the longer we lingered on the topic of this 'White Fang'. "They're nothing but a bunch of thieves and murderers anyway."

"The White Fang _didn't_ do this." Blake said, growing equally heated. "They wouldn't resort to working with criminals for something like this."

"Guys, Guys!" Ruby said, trying to de-escalate the situation. "Does it matter who did it right now? They could still be nearby and we should do something."

" _You_ can do something." Blake growled angrily. "I think I've had enough for tonight."

With that, Blake turned and began to walk away. To where I do not know, but she clearly wanted to be any place but here. In an instant she'd vanished amongst the crowd.

"Blake, hold on a second-" Yang said, following after her partner. Soon she'd disappeared into the crowd as well.

"I'm going back to beacon." Weiss huffed angrily. "Tonight's been nothing but a mess."

'You weren't saying that fifteen minutes ago.'

Ruby tried to stop Weiss as she walked away, but the little girl in red held no sway over he partner. Now it was just me and her standing at the crime scene, holding bags of clothing and pizza.

"What about you Six?" she said, clearly hoping I'd side with her

"Sorry Ruby, not gonna happen." I say motioning to the items I was carrying. "My hands are full, plus I'm unarmed right now. I don't know about you, but chasing after armed robbers with just a few boxes of pizza and bags of clothes doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Oh, ok." Ruby was crestfallen, the last person who might be willing to help right now having turned her down. "I guess tonight was a bit of a failure."

"Meh, only at the end there. Things seemed to be going good otherwise."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I mean you did manage to corral all of us together. It at least looks like you took some of the advice I gave you."

"I tried" she said with a sheepish smile "Guess it didn't really work out though."

"I wouldn't say that." I began to walk away from the crowd with Ruby "You can't expect everything to work out on the first try anyway."

"… You're right." Ruby said, her confidence clearly not as bruised as she'd made it seem. "There's always next time."

"Indeed, assuming these robberies kee-"

Before I could finish that sentence there was a low grinding sound. One I recognized almost instantly. I wasn't the only one to hear it either, considering Ruby looked at me in confusion.

"What was that?"

"… hold this for a sec, would ya?"

I handed the pizza off to Ruby and looked at the screen of my pip-boy. Flicking over to the data screen re-instated the sinking feeling I'd had in my gut. At the top of the 'quest' section was a new heading.

 _When The Dust Settles_

\- _Investigate the robberies occurring around Vale._

'… Should've figured this thing would try and rope me into I trouble eventually.'

"Everything ok Six?" Ruby asked

"Uh, yeah, just needed to check something that came up. Nothing big."

I clicked off of the data section and took the pizza back from Ruby. We continued down the street, not quite sure what else to do with our night now.

'I'm _not_ getting wrapped up in this. Especially not right now… meh, I'm sure I'll forget about it and remember again in two months anyway.'

…

The rest of our weekend was pretty uneventful. After returning to Beacon I kept to myself, as per usual. I looked over the few assignments the instructors had handed out, but not knowing how to answer questions written in a foreign language made it pointless. So I bid my time the way any other wastelander would. I explored most every part of the school grounds I had access to. There were a few places I technically wasn't allowed in, but that was only a matter of time. After that got boring I did a few short rounds of P.T.. I've done some Intensive Training in the past, tried to make myself as fit as I could after my stint in the dirt. I feel like I could do more if I pushed, now especially if youth was actually on my side. But I didn't quite have the drive for it yet. I got the distinct impression, however, it would be something I picked up with time.

After I finished that I caught up on some reading. I'd had a collection of old world books that weren't completely ruined and somewhat legible. I always kept one or two on hand in case I got bored of caravan while traveling. The rest were back at the 38.

Overall, my weekend was quiet. It continued that way through most of the week too. I took notes, tried to retain my sanity, and even took a 'test' Port had planned. It was easy, all I had to do was draw dots on a piece of paper. If that is what this world considered a challenge, then they seriously needed to up their standards. This place was quiet compared to the Mojave. Too quiet, almost.

I'm used to spending days running around, solving problems and fighting eradiated mutant freaks of nature or Gecko shit crazy humans. This place is nothing but paper pushing and doing what you're told. It was like work but without the paycheck.

Presently, I was sitting in Port's class. It's been a few days since we'd taken the test and we were in the middle of…

"-With a mighty leap I closed the distance between myself and the Nevermore, severing its head in one fell swing, Ha ha!"

… Another _riveting_ tale.

Mercifully, class was almost over. Just needed to wait a few more minutes, then I could go about the rest of my afternoon. Port began to wrap up his tale and returned to his desk.

"As I was saying, it is important to know one's shortcomings and when it is time to ask for help." He grabbed a small stack of papers and began to hand them out. "Though you may believe you can do everything, you all still have much to learn."

The papers trickled around the room. I could hear some people murmuring happily while others were… less enthusiastic. I don't know how you could fail a test that was just filling in dots, but apparently people did it. The papers reached my team and If the faces my teammates made were anything to go by, they were at least pleased by how they'd done. Being unable to read the language, I had no clue how I'd done.

"With that, I shall see you next class. Remember, stay vigilant!"

The students began to disperse from the room. I collected my stuff and began to file out with team RWBY. Team JNPR joined us as we walked out the door.

"What'd you guys get?" Ruby asked

"I got a seventy five" Jaune answered nonchalantly

"Eighty Six" Ren added in his usual fashion.

"Sixty six" Nora answered proudly

"Ninety five" Pyrrha said with a small smile.

"I told you it wasn't going to be simple" Weiss said with just a trace hint of satisfaction.

"What about you guys?" Jaune asked

"Ninety eight." Weiss said with a triumphant smile

"Seventy Seven" Yang answered in satisfaction

"A hundred." Blake answered in slight disinterest. Earning a small glare from Weiss.

"… Sixty five" Ruby answered softly. No sooner had the words left her mouth than Weiss shifted her gaze to the tiny girl in red. An unsurprised and nonplussed look on her face. "… heh heh, sorry."

Weiss sighed, it seemed she was trying to keep good on her promise to give Ruby some slack. "Please try and do better Ruby."

"Cut her some slack snowflake." I say "It was the first test, this is the part where you work the kinks out."

'Hopefully anyway.'

"Oh? Then what did you get?"

"Me? Well…" I carefully began tucking my test out of sight. I didn't know what was on it, and had no intention of letting them find out. "… I did alright, I guess."

"Aw, don't be like that Six." Yang said, getting a little too close for comfort. "So what if you did bad? You can tell us."

"I did fine. It's none of your business regardless." I tried to put some space between me and the blonde.

"We're just curious, besides-" Yang peeled away from me and revealed a small set of papers. "It's only fair." She gave a small smirk.

I looked at the paper she'd just snatched from me and patted the pocket I'd put my test in. It was gone.

'What sadist taught _this_ girl how to pick pocket?'

She flipped the test around and began to examine it. The smirk that was on her face melted away as she scanned the page.

"Oh… wow."

I moved to try and get the test away from her but she slipped away from me. She rejoined the rest of Team RWBY and JNPR and everyone else got similar surprised looks on their faces.

Weiss's then promptly morphed into a look of annoyance.

"HOW!? How did you manage to get a zero!?"

'Oh, I did _that_ bad'

"I- uh… got a few wrong?" I ventured

"A few!? It was a multiple choice test! You had a one in four chance of getting _any_ of them right!"

'Ah, there's the bad luck, wondered where that went.'

Before anyone else acted, Weiss grabbed my arm and attempted to drag me down the hallway. I say attempted because the moment she went to pull she practically flopped onto her back because physics was not on her side.

"Uh, what're you doing?" I ask, still playing anchor

"Taking you to the library." Weiss said, still failing to pull me forward. " _You_ need to study, because I am not letting your grades affect mine."

"… That works how exactly?"

"Teams get an averaged out grade to re-enforce teamwork." Blake said, still examining my test "It makes sure we actually work together even if we don't want to."

"I can handle Ruby barely passing, But I'm not standing for _this._ " Weiss said, still struggling "You're going to the library and studying _now_."

"Uh… yeah, nah, I'm good."

I continue to stand like a statue as Weiss begins to tire of trying to move me.

"… Going to the library to study doesn't sound like such a bad idea, actually." Ruby said "I think it would help all of us."

'Except Blake'

"Do you mind if we join you?" Pyrrha asked, stepping up for Jaune. "I believe we could benefit from this as well."

"Of course." Ruby smiled

"-With that, I bid you all adieu." I say, finally having enough.

I turn and begin walking the other way, dragging Weiss behind me as she continued to fail.

"Aw, c'mon Six, It'll be fun! It'll be like a team bu-"

At the mention of the word team I immediately began pulling harder, prepared to sprint away again. Unfortunately, my current bit of dead weight slowed me down. So much so, that before I could even put five feet between me and the group Yang turned and socked me in the gut as hard as she could.

She hit _hard_.

I promptly stopped moving and buckled to a knee.

"-ilding exercise." Ruby finished, a smirk on her face.

"… Yeah …ok." I wheezed

'Don't try same tactics twice. Got it.'

…

I haven't been to many libraries. Mojave didn't have too many that were still intact. Quite frankly, I don't know how many it actually had pre-war, given the nature of Vegas. The only real place of learning I can recall was the school house in Goodsprings. That place certainly didn't have a library either. The only places that were close to having libraries were the Follower's fort and the Brotherhood bunker. Even then the Followers' was just barely a ten by ten concrete cube and the Brotherhood had everything digitized.

But this place's archives made them both pale in comparison.

It was a pretty ridiculously sized room, had to be close to over a hundred feet in length. The Ceiling was easily arched half that distance over our heads. The shelves and racks of books were so huge they needed a second floor just so people could easily access them. Small study tables dotted the expanse of the room and the smells of worn paper and ink filled the air.

My companions and I took a few tables in a corner of the second floor. The place was relatively quiet, relatively because such a large room had a nasty tendency to create echoes. None them so loud as to be distracting, but still notable. The table we were seated at was piled high with books and papers. Yang and Blake were playing a board game while Pyrrha, Ren, and Jaune were looking over some books. I sat next to Ruby and Nora as Weiss stood across the table from us, reading from a book. There were a set of sheets in front of the three of us. A 'pop-quiz' Weiss wanted us to fill out as she _literally_ read the answers off in front of us. Ruby didn't have any trouble with it, ticking off answers as Weiss spouted them. Nora was furiously scribbling on her sheets, I don't think most of it was for the answers. I, on the other hand, just stared vacantly down at the sheet. I listened to what she was saying and made mental notes of seemingly important information.

"Aside from its softened underbelly." Weiss concluded "The boarbatusk is known for its simplistic attack patterns and unarmored sides. It'll sooner charge you and retreat, rather than wait and continue its assault."

She closed her book and looked at the three of us. We slid our sheets forward. She looked over them with a keen eye. She must've seen Ruby's first because she seemed pleasantly surprised. Then she saw Nora's and her expression sank a little bit. Something told me Nora wasn't the greatest artist. Then she flipped to the last sheet, glanced at it, and glared at me.

Something told me she was looking at mine now.

"You have got to be kidding." She sighed in annoyance. "Are you even trying?"

"Totally, I just wrote my answers in disappearing ink."

"… I _gave_ you the answers and you couldn't be bothered to actually answer the questions."

"I'm sorry teach, maybe you ought to try again." I teased "this time I'll draw you a pretty picture to go with it."

"Six, please be serious." Ruby asked "Weiss is only trying to help."

"Yeah, I know Ruby, but I don't think having someone spew answers at me rapid fire is going to help me learn any faster."

'Need an example? Try Oobleck, the guy speaks so fast I haven't even bothered taking notes. Which makes not being able to read even worse.'

"You refusing to answer any of the questions isn't going to help you learn at all!" Weiss almost shouted. She was promptly shushed by everyone else present.

"Well _excuse_ me, snowflake. But you rattling off information isn't going to help either. Hell, I already knew most of what you were spouting anyway."

"Language,-" Weiss insisted "-and if that were the case, you wouldn't have gotten a flat zero on the exam."

"Oh really? You sure about that?" I asked, feeling a little agitated

"Yes." Weiss said, now getting snippy

"Alright, ask a question then."

"I did, the entire sheet-"

"I mean actually _ask_ me a question."

Weiss stopped for a moment and looked at me strange. In my peripherals I noticed that our little argument had started to attract the others' attention as well.

"… An elder Beringel has a bite strength of?"

"Thirteen hundred psi, plus an additional grip and grappling strength of over eighteen hundred pounds."

"How fast is the average beowulf?"

"The average Beowulf is capable of cantering at just under fifteen miles an hour, and maintaining it for extended periods with no notable loss in stamina."

"What was the size of the largest recorded Ursa?"

"Trick question: Ursai are not native to any particular region, with various hunters claiming to have encountered the 'largest' Ursa."

Weiss stopped asking questions and looked at me, confused. I got similar looks from everyone else present.

"… Those were the first three questions on the exam and you answered them perfectly."

"Hard to believe, huh? That I'm not an idiot."

"Then why did you fail!?" Weiss shouted angrily

She was shushed once more.

"… I'm a bad test taker." I answer lamely "I don't always do well under pressure."

"But what I gave you before _wasn't_ a test. It was a study guide." Weiss said irritably. "You were supposed to fill it out so you could look it over later."

"Oh…"

Weiss looked at me strange. Her eyes a mixture of confusion and scrutiny as she tried to figure out if I was just screwing with her. To be fair, I only half was. Not being able to read was biting me in the ass again. Though I _was_ getting uncomfortable with everybody looking at me.

"… If you already know the answers, why don't you help us with homework?" Nora asked suddenly

"Huh?"

"Yea!" Ruby said in agreement. She pulled out a sheet of paper with blank lines and what I assume were questions on it.

"I thought we were studying?" Weiss asked in agitation.

"We're doing homework, it's technically the same thing."

"What's the answer to the first question?" Nora asked excitedly, probably happy to have an easy out for homework.

"Uhh…" I answered, staring down at the sheet of paper.

'… welp, they've got me in a box now. Shit.'

I sat there for a second, quickly scanning the line of alien symbols and hoping by some miracle they'd magically translate into English. Unfortunately, I'm not that lucky.

"Everything ok Six?" Ruby asked

"Y-yea"

'ok, think, there's got to be an easy solution out of this. Don't panic. The answer is… is… 42?... No, that's just fucking stupid. This is biology, not math.'

I sat there for a small stretch of time. Trying to come up with an answer.

"Uh… Nevermore have a flight speed of 15 knots?" I venture

Ruby and Nora looked at me confused.

"Six this is a question about the toxicity of deathstalker venom." Ruby said, giving me a questioning look

"Oh… deathstalker venom contains a sodium based neurotoxin compound that becomes less effective as the beast matures. Which is balanced by the creature's massive size increases."

"Ok…" Ruby scribbled that down on to the paper. "… Why did you answer for a Nevermore before?"

"I was- uh- looking at the next question down." I said

"That one's about the common deathstalker habitats…"

"… I meant the _next_ one dow-"

"Six, this entire assignment is about deathstalkers."

"Ah… well, guess it was just a slip of the mind?" I offered meakly.

Everyone present at the table was now looking at me strange and it was making me uncomfortable.

"… Y'know what? I'm gonna go for a walk."

I started to rise from the table and pull away from the group. They made no motions to stop me, thankfully, but they did seem to watch me as I went my own way. As soon as I broke line of sight I booked it downstairs and hid myself among the bookshelves. My eyes scanned the book spines through the tint of my gas mask. There was nary an English word to be found in my current standing. Which was infinitely frustrating, considering I knew full well English was in this world _somewhere_.

With a frustrated sigh, I pulled a leather bound book from the shelves and opened it. The format seemed similar enough to most Old World reading. But there was nothing else recognizable about it.

'Maybe I can ask whoever runs this place if they have anything for English?... no, that might not work. I don't even know if it's called English here. For all I know it could be called something stupid like Beaconese… or French.'

…

The study session passed without further incident once the courier had left the teens to themselves. Nora and Ruby made decent strides in their studies, despite their hyperactive nature.

Having grown weary of studying though, the two team's study session began to devolve into a session of 'who can cheat better than the rest at Lienopoly'.

"No fair." Ruby pouted as Weiss claimed another of her properties. "You've totally been double dipping from the bank."

"I most certainly have not." Weiss defended "I just know better than to buy property before utilities."

"Yeah, I'm sure all those hours of home tutoring taught you how to be the best at board games." Yang said with a grimace.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Weiss then promptly bought out Yang's last remaining property. "And, you're out."

"Ugh, no fair! I want back in!"

"Sorry." Weiss said with an icy grin "That's the way the game goes."

"Tch, this blows. I'm going back to the room." Yang grumbled, getting up from the table.

The blonde brawler stalked away from the table in a huff. Her smaller crimson sister soon joined her.

"I think we've all had enough of this game for now. How about we go play some videogames or something? We've got a little while longer before dinner starts anyway."

"Hmm, I suppose that's alright." Weiss agreed, packing the malefic board game away.

"Good." Yang said with an aggressive smirk "I'm going to mop the floor with you in Lethal Insight"

"You guys want to join us?" Ruby asked the other team

"You bet!" Nora near shouted "I'm sick of books! C'mon Ren!"

Before the stoic boy could voice an opinion, Nora grabbed him by the collar and took off after Yang. Jaune, with slightly less enthusiasm, rose from his seat and followed after them. Rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"I will be along shortly." Pyrrha said with a warm smile. "I just need to make sure these books are returned first."

Ruby gave a nod and looked to her remaining teammate, who lingered silently at the table.

"You coming Blake?"

"I think I'll stay here." Blake said, nose buried into an almost finished book. "I'm planning to keep studying and pick up another book. I'll see you at dinner."

"Ok then…"

Ruby gave a small wave and hurried after her sister. Soon only the flame haired warrior and the ebony haired recluse remained. Pyrrha piled the various leather bound tomes and assorted texts into piles to carry back. She could've asked for their assistance, but knew it wasn't needed. The number of books they'd needed wasn't substantial enough, in her mind, to warrant it. Blake thumbed through the few remaining pages of her book. She was speed reading at this point, more just finalizing the detail in her mind. She'd already read through the book twice prior by this point and was ready to move in search of something new.

In near synchrony, Blake flipped the book closed as Pyrrha collected the last text. Blake rose from the table and began moving towards the stairs. Before doing so, however, she took note of the piles of books that were left behind. Pyrrha looked at them and gave a nervous chuckle, she'd over estimated just how many they'd used.

"Would you like a hand?" Blake asked, eyeing the stacks.

"Yes, it would be appreciated." Pyrrha chuckled.

Dividing the books amongst themselves, the two huntresses carried the various books back to the return bin.

"Did you get to finish your book?" Pyrrha asked

"Yea, I'd actually finished it a few days ago and was just re-reading it. It was pretty good."

Ah, I see. What was it about?"

"… It was about a man with two souls, each one fighting for control over their body."

"Oh, you mean the tale of The Alchemist Henry Jade and Edward Honeydew?"

"Yes, actually, have your read it?"

"In a way, my mother read it to me when I was younger. I thought it was enjoyable."

"… You're mother read a book like _that_ to you as a kid?"

"It was a bit odd." Pyrrha chuckled "But I still thought it was good. It certainly left an impression."

"I didn't think it was the type of book you'd read to your kid though."

"She wanted to make sure I had a good education. She read to me every chance she got and I read every chance I had."

"... I think I can understand that."

Blake thought back to her own parents for a moment. Her mother had been the same way. Her father too, though he'd always been busy. They both took every chance they could to support her, to teach her, make sure she had a brighter future than they'd been handed… She hadn't seen them in nearly two years.

Blake took a breath and calmed her thought. She didn't want to think about that right now. She was trying to change, set things right. Now wasn't the time to go down that road. Though she feared it would soon drag her back.

The two huntresses reached the library's main desk and returned the borrowed books. It took no more than a few minutes, all told.

"Thank you for your help." Pyrrha said

"Not a problem, I guess you'll be heading back to the dorms then?"

"Indeed, I don't believe there is any reason for me to stay here."

"Well, I'm sure I'll… see you at…" Blake trailed off.

Blake looked beyond Pyrrha, a look of surprise on her face. Curious, Pyrrha turned to see what had grabbed her friend's attention. It wasn't hard to find. Behind them, they watched as the lanky form of Six walked toward a secluded section of the library. Under each arm were several book.

"That's strange-" Pyrrha said "I thought he said he was going for a walk."

"He did." Blake agreed, her curiosity piqued. "But what does he need all those books for?"

…

"No, that's not right either." I grumbled to myself.

I tore another scrap of paper from my notebook, crumpled it, and chucked it away. It took no small bit of effort on my part to find a thesaurus with even a small degree of English in it. It took even more to find books that even _sparingly_ used English. I'd set myself to pouring over them, looking for overlaps, learn which symbols translated to what. If I could even gain a basic grounding in the written script then I could easily figure the rest out. Maybe.

So far though, it was going worse than the time Raul tried teaching me Spanish.

Nothing matched up evenly. I'd think I'd be onto something, then about three or four syllables in everything would go to pot.

'How could a language be spoken with _less_ syllables than it takes to write a single word!? That makes no graham damned sense!'

I took a deep breath and tried to focus, I began scratching at the paper with my pencil again. The symbols were crude compared to their printed counterpart, but I wasn't going for penmanship. I wasn't going to let some dried ink beat me. I'd beat things that were tougher than this. I've hacked dozens of computers, I've healed countless wounds, I've repaired fucking _nuclear reactors with tin cans_ , I've… I've-

"I've got no clue what I'm doing." I say in defeat, tearing off another page and tossing it away.

"Hey! Watch where you're throwing things."

Before I could begin again, I was interrupted by a familiar voice. I looked up and took note of the two girls approaching me from beyond the bookshelves. Blake looked at me sternly, having just caught a ball of wadded paper to the face. Pyrrha walked beside her, a little amused at Blake's annoyance.

"Hello again." Pyrrha said with a small wave.

"Uh… hey." I said, suppressing any unconscious motions to hide what I was doing. Last thing I needed was to look guilty for no reason. "… What're you doing here?"

"We were returning books." Blake said, eyes scanning the books on the table. "We saw you and wanted to see what you were up to. I thought you were going for a walk?"

"I- uh- did. But I got bored and figured I should do some studying."

'… wait, no, that's a bad li-'

"But I thought you already knew what you were talking about?"

"I do, it's just- it's just that I wanted to be prepared."

Blake looked at me for a moment then scanned the closest book before I could make an effort to cover it.

"Ok, but what does advanced botany have to do with Grimm biology?"

"Oh, well, I picked that one up by accident."

"… What about the one next to that then, 'metallurgy and you'?

"uh-"

"The one after that is a thesaurus." Pyrrha chimed in helpfully

'You stay out of this!'

"… Ah, well-" I say, getting up from my seat. "I made a string of silly mistakes. If you'll excuse me I should return them an-"

Before I could step away from the table Blake held up her hand. The look she was giving me screamed 'You're joking right?'.

"… You're not buying this, are you?"

"Nope." Blake answered simply. "I'm not going to mince words Six, what's going on?"

I looked at the two girls through my gas mask, weighing my options. On one hand, I was caught and there wasn't getting out of this without some convoluted explanation. Probably involving invisible grimm and a rabbi. On the other, I could give them some truth. Not the whole thing, but cherry picking could make suffering a little easier for at least a little while.

'… Screw it, I don't have the energy for this.'

"I've… got a problem." I admit, absent mindedly scratching my helmet.

"Oh?" Pyrrha exclaimed

"That's putting it mildly." Blake said under her breath

"I heard that miss catty." I say with a bit of a growl.

For a fraction of a second, Blake looked surprised again. Like she had in the restaurant. But it passed just as quick.

"This ain't easy for me either." I continue

"Well what exactly is the problem?" Pyrrha asked

"It's… hard to explain. I also feel like an idiot for trying to explain it."

"There's no need to feel like that." Pyrrha answered "I'm sure that whatever you-"

"I can't read."

Both of the girls stopped talking and looked at me.

"… You can't read?" Blake reiterated

"Yes, in a manner of speaking."

"… I'm afraid I don't understand." Pyrrha said in confusion. "You wouldn't have been able to enroll here unless you had the proper grades. Which means you have to be able to read."

"Well… yea, but it's… complicated."

"You're doing a very poor job of explaining." Blake summarized

"I told you it was hard to explain." I reiterated in annoyance. "… it's not that I'm completely illiterate. I do know how to read. It's just that what I've read has been different."

"You mean a different language?"

"You'd think so, but… no. If it was a different language, odds are we wouldn't be able to have this conversation right now."

"So you learned a different script?" Pyrrha offered

"Yes!" I say, snapping my finger at the flame haired girl. "That's probably the best way to describe it."

A look of understanding crept over the huntress's faces as they scanned the books on the table. It wasn't hard to imagine that one or two things were starting to click together.

"Is that the reason you failed the test?" Pyrrha asked

"That, and a serious bout of bad luck."

"Why haven't you said anything then?" Blake asked "We'd all have been more than willing to help you if you'd said something."

"Because swallowing your pride is a tough thing to do. The only reason I'm doing it now is because I'm too tired to fight for something this petty."

'Another technical truth'

"Perhaps we can help you then." Pyrrha offered "It shouldn't be too difficult to help you learn to read if you just need to translate."

"Indeed, it would make things a lot easier. Though I'm not sure if you'd be entirely able to read what I do."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Pyrrha smiled "Do you have an example for us to work with?"

"I do actually, hold on a tick."

I reached into the blazer of my uniform and withdrew a book. It was a pale sky blue with a dark binding. The surface was scuffed and had clearly seen better days. But given that it was an intact pre-war book, I don't think I could ask for much better in most cases. I thumbed through a few pages and showed it to them. The two huntresses scanned the book, a look of confusion growing on their faces.

"This… this is old Sanusian." Blake said, looking up from the book "Why do you know how to read this?"

'English is called "old Sanusian", got it.'

"My parents taught it to me, claimed it was the 'true' language or some b.s. like that."

"It was the language of Vale and Vacuo prior to the great war." Pyrrha said, shifting her gaze to me. "One of the conditions following the war was the introduction of a standardized language, Vytalian."

"Which is the symbols written in all of these books?"

"Yes, though you do occasionally still see Sanusian around. Some people who were taught it still prefer it."

'Which explains why I _have_ seen it.'

"It shouldn't be too hard to teach you Vytalian. That is, if you'd be willing to let us help."

"I couldn't ask that of both of you." I say honestly "You sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not" Pyrrha said with a warm smile "I'm more than happy to help a friend."

"-and you're on my team." Blake said with an uncharacteristic smirk "I can't let you undo all my hard work."

I gave a mirthless chuckle. "Well, where do we start then?"

…

"- and this symbol here-" Pyrrha said, tapping a symbol in the thesaurus "- is a consonant."

"I see." I say with a nod "That's why I couldn't match everything up right."

We were there for close to two hours. The entire time the two huntresses had dissected the words with me as I fumbled to read through basic words. I had made astounding progress, apparently, but was still unlikely to be reading perfect anytime soon. If nothing else though, they'd given me a basic grounding. Something I'd been in desperate need of.

I stared at a small string of symbols, scanning them through the lenses of my gas mask.

"… See... Rain… run?" I ask, hopeful

"Almost." Pyrrha said with a smile. "It's 'see _Jane_ run'."

"tsk. Almost had it."

"I've gotta say-" Blake spoke up "You've made some amazing progress, we only started a few hours ago and you've made some impressive strides."

"Eh, learn one language and you can learn any. Still though, I'm not going to be up to snuff for at least a while longer."

"True, but at least now you have a place to begin with."

"And if you need help, you can always ask us." Pyrrha finished

"There is very little doubt I will." I say, a smile beneath my mask. "So, I suppose I owe you both then?"

"Oh no, you don't-"

"No, no, Pyrrha I do. You've both done me a great service and not finding a way to make it up to both of you would be selfish."

The huntresses shared a look, shrugged, then turned back to me.

"Well, if you insist."

"I do, believe me. As it stands I now owe you both a favor. You ever need help with something you can't tell the others about, you just have to ask."

I wasn't in the habit of putting myself in other people's debts. But for something like this, I think I could make an exception. As far as I could tell they were trustworthy and probably wouldn't ask anything too big of me anyway.

"Very well, then I suppose we should start to return these books? We should be meeting up for dinner shortly."

"Sounds good to me."

I got up from the table and began to collect the few books that were lying about. It didn't take much before we were basically packed and heading out. I was going to split from the girls soon. I didn't feel a need to sit in a noisy cafeteria, where I wouldn't be able to eat but be stuck smelling and seeing food. I'd probably sneak through later and snag some anyway. As we placed the books into the return bin, Blake began to separate from us.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"Nothing, I'd just been planning to find another book before we bumped into you."

"Ah, then I suppose you'd be wanting to go look for one then?"

Blake gave a nod. She then narrowed her eyes and she looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Actually, I have a small question for you."

"Oh? What about?"

"That book you showed us earlier, I didn't recognize it. What's it about?"

I cocked my head to the side a little in surprise, this hadn't been something I was expecting.

"It's… a fantasy story." I lied, knowing the contents of the story were _slightly_ different.

"Ok" Blake urged me on.

"… It's about a boy who runs away from home. He goes on a number of adventure while rafting down a river with a runaway slave… He learns a lot about life from it and it makes you think, just a bit."

Blake had seemed interested before, but by the look she had now I could tell she wanted to read it.

"Do you mind if I borrow it?"

"Hmm, I don't know. It's written in Sanusian, and on top of that it can be a bit hard to understand."

"Well, what do _you_ think of it?"

"It's… pretty good. I've read through it a couple of times now and I always get a kick out of it."

"Do you mind if I borrow it then?"

I stared at the dark haired huntress for a moment, weighing the impact letting her read the book could have. To her, the names and places mentioned in the book _were_ nothing but a fantasy. She wouldn't know how much of it was actually real at one point. I honestly couldn't think of how much harm I could do by letting her read it.

"… Yeah, ok."

I handed her the beat up book and she gave me a small smile.

"I promise to take care of it." She said jokingly

"You best, it's older than both of us put together."

She gave a small laugh as we began to leave the library.

'If you only knew.'

* * *

 **A/N: There she is folks, another chapter. For those of you who are wondering, we'll be getting back on the plot rails soon enough. For now, I hope you enjoy.**

 **"SparkysBro": At that point, Six knew there was english somewhere in Remnant and wasn't _as_ surprised to see it. Honestly, english as a whole is a bizarre thing in RWBY, you'll see it on store signs and other things but otherwise you just get weird symbols. Beats me, but I just work here. **

**Anyway, Hope everyone enjoyed. All comments, thoughts, and reviews are welcome; and I'll see you again soon.**

 **-Ash**


	7. Bully in the School

It'd taken me a while to get to Vegas. Far longer than I would like to admit, actually. Having to hide my face and watch my movements made it slow going. But it was the price I was willing to pay to be careful. I'd taken my time resting and restocking at Mojave Outpost before setting out for Novac. It was a trip that involved more fighting and hiding than my bout with the legion at Nipton. While passing through the mountains I'd had a short encounter with a couple grenade happy Raiders. I think it was the Jackals, or maybe the Vipers. Honestly, after a while they started to seem so similar I didn't care anymore. Of course, they weren't the real problem.

The real problem was the band of Legionary assassins that showed up not too long after.

Word travels fast I suppose, especially when you hack a prominent legionary officer to death with a machete… After blowing the heads off his subordinates with a shotgun and kneecapping him with a Varmint rifle.

In my defense, their armor was tough and it was the only way to keep them from ganging up on me.

Anyway, the assassins showed up not long after. The most immediate difference between them and Vulpes? Vulpes thought it would be a good idea to try intimidating me through words. All he did was piss me off.

The assassins on the other hand? They just opened fire.

Their armor was tougher than Vulpes' group too. I'd managed to kill one of them, but it didn't take a genius to see that was a mistake. I'd practically run dry on ammo after that. So I made the, very tactful, decision to run the fuck away. I cut across the tops of the mountains and ran through an abandoned farmstead before I lost them.

After that it took me a while to find my way to Novac. But that's a story for another time. Suffice to say, it took me a while to get to Vegas. But after Novac, I wasn't alone.

I managed to track the khans who were with me when I got shot to boulder city. Talking them down wasn't easy, but neither was talking down the officers stationed there. But they pointed me in the right direction, I was bound for the strip. If the little information I had about the package I'd been delivering was any indicator, going there would've only made sense. There was only one road block.

A two thousand cap roadblock.

My shitty luck had left me near constantly strapped for cash. I'd been finding legion denarius like crazy, both from the assassins that were hounding me and legion that weren't smart enough to stay outta my sight. But, when no one accepted them, it made them basically worthless. I kept them more as a testament to human stubbornness than anything, something that was apparently worth a considerable weight of gold and silver.

Anyway, being broke and stuck on the wrong side of the fence, I didn't have many options. I tried getting a passport from the king, but I couldn't even see the guy without paying his lieutenant, Pacer, 500 caps. Fucking asshole. At that point, I figured it was time to call in a favor I'd made in Goodsprings, and paid Ringo a visit.

Ringo coughed up the caps happily, which I appreciated, and told me to talk to McLafferty. She hooked me up with some jobs. I refused one, I already had one target painted on my back without pissing off the Gun Runners. The first job I decided to take had me going back to Mojave Outpost, something I was fine with considering I at least knew the way was more or less clear. It was also an opportunity to visit an old drinking buddy again.

Which brought me to the actual job itself.

I strolled into the Cantina like a tumbleweed on the wind. My leather armor had crapped out on me and had been replaced with its heavier cousin. I'd also had to swap out my stormchaser hat for a motorcycle helmet after my first run in with the assassins. It gave its life for mine and I will forever remember it as a rag of cloth that sat on my head.

Soon as I walked in, she had her eyes on me. A smirk on her face and a glint in her eye.

"Well now, look what the cat dragged in." She said with all her usual sass. "Haven't seen you here in a few weeks. Was starting to think you'd forgot about me."

"Please, who could forget you? You can smell the booze from Vegas." I sassed back

She chuckled and rolled her eyes… then stealthily sniffed her shirt. The face she made showed I was only half joking. She made a motion to Lacey and a couple glasses and a bottle of whisky materialized next to her.

"Take a seat" She offered "I'm sure we got some catching up to do."

"Like you'd never believe." I sighed "But, I've got some business I need to handle first."

"Well hurry up and talk to Jackson then, I'm su-"

"My business isn't with Jackson."

Cass cocked her head to the side in confusion. I didn't try to explain, quite frankly I wanted to do this about as much as I wanted to play dentist to rabid molerats. But I was getting paid, and if I didn't McLafferty was gonna send some other Asshole to do it. I pulled out the papers and spoke plainly.

"I'm here on behalf of Alice McLafferty and the Crimson Caravan Company with regards to the acquisition of Cassidy Caravans."

Cass's jaw fell open a bit in disbelief. I held out the small packet of papers for her and she took them. Her eyes scanned quickly over the leaflet before looking back to me. Her smile faded and she glared angrily at me.

"The fuck is this." She growled angrily

"The papers and bill of-"

"I know what they are, asshole. I'm asking why the fuck _you're_ delivering them."

"… I needed the money."

"Oh for fuck's sale."

"Hey, if I didn't do it, McLafferty would have just sent some other asshole to do it anyway."

"Yea? Well she might as well, 'cuz I'm not signing them."

I stared silently at Cass for a moment, a bit confused. Part of me had an idea where she was coming from, but I'd seen the amount McLafferty was offering. It wasn't small.

"Are you serious Cass? With that many zeroes you're going to turn her down, just like that?"

"Fuck yea I am. I can see the zeroes and I know she's good for 'em. But I'm not selling. Caravan's the last thing I have left of my old man, that 'n my name. They're tied together, 'n I'm not selling either."

"… Why?"

The glare she had was now blazing with fury. She definitely wasn't happy now.

"Why? _Why!?_ Did you literally not just hear a word I just said!?"

"No, I heard you just fine."

"Then I shouldn't have to fucking repeat myself!"

"I'm just asking because I don't think you're taking full stock of your situation."

"Take stock?- the fuck are you talking about?"

"Look around, Cass" I motioned to the entirety of the Cantina "Do you know where you are?"

"… a bar." She answered flatly

"Not like that." I sigh in frustration "I mean in general. Do you have any idea where you are?"

"… the Mojave, a barren desert full of-"

"Wrong!"

She hadn't been expecting me to cut her off. She wasn't happy, but I needed to make a point and she wasn't listening. I needed to spell it out to her.

" _You_ are trapped at a junction between the NCR and the Mojave wasteland. _You_ currently own jack all except for a burnt out pile of ash and a name. A name that is the _reason_ you are trapped in the first place. In walks a way out and the moment it's offered, you dig in your heels and tell them to fuck off. _You_ are stuck without a leg to stand on, and as a result you're sitting her getting plastered rather than doing something about it!"

Cass leapt up from her stool and had me by the collar before I even knew it. She cocked her arm back, ready to knock my lights out. I could see the anger blazing in her eyes. She _really_ wanted to cut loose on me. But she didn't. She just stood there for a moment, arm and body tensed with a fire in her eye. She didn't swing, partly because deep down she knew I had a point.

At least, I think that was the reason.

"… Dammit!" She said at last, releasing my collar and trudging to her stool. "Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!"

She slouched back onto her stool and rubbed her face. She was mad, I could see it written literally everywhere. But it wasn't the violent type of mad I'd seen in the many raiders I'd fought on the road to Vegas. It was the calm kind, the kind where you put more blame into yourself than anyone, or thing, else.

"… What am I supposed to do?" Cass said "I sell, take the money, and make it all for nothing? Or stay, drinking and hoping they'll eventually just let me through? Neither is a good option, Six."

"I know, that's why _I'm_ here and not some other Jackass."

With a sigh, I walked over to the bar and took a seat on the stool next to Cass. Time to see if I could explain things to her.

"I'll admit, I didn't exactly open things up the best there. Something tells me I definitely could've handled it better."

"Hmph, no _fuckin'_ kiddin'?" Cass gave a tired smirk.

"- But that doesn't mean I'm not on your side Cass."

I took the papers from Cass and looked them. I found a specific section I'd read over on my way to the outpost, One I knew would basically be the key to doing this.

"Article 4, section 3, paragraph 7: 'The undersigned agrees to the sale of all physical assets related to 'Cassidy Caravans'. The undersigned also agrees to relinquish any and all paperwork related to operation.'"

"… How does that help me?" Cass asked, eyeing the paper.

"On the surface, it doesn't seem like it." I say closing the packet back up "But that's where it pays to read."

Cass eyed me now, curious where I was going with this.

"The way they worded that plays into this a great deal. Whoever wrote the contract fucked up royally. They're demanding you give them all of the physical properties belonging to the company, but no specification as to the _legal_ status of the business. Things like uniforms, weapons, cattle-"

"-The actual caravan." Cass surmised, a inkling of understanding crossing her face.

"Yahtzee. On top of that, the paper work they want? They never specified which papers they _actually_ wanted."

The look Cass got on her face made it clear she was getting what I meant.

"So, I'm not actually selling Cassidy Caravans-"

"Just some worthless ashes." I finish "… well, maybe not worthless. They might've had families at one point."

"… heh" Cass smirked "Just what kind of snake did Alice McLafferty hire?"

" _Your_ snake" I answer "You'll be free to take your titles, along with the money they give you, and start fresh whenever you feel like it. All because some Jackass didn't word things properly."

Cass didn't say anything, she just poured some whisky into the glasses and handed me one. She signed and We drank, smacking our glasses heartily against the bar.

"That… that took a lot of weight off my shoulders, actually." She said at last. "Thanks, you really have no idea how much you helped me."

"Ah, don't mention it. We're friends right?"

"… Yeah, yeah we are." She smiled "So what's next?"

"Well, after I finish drinking, I've got to return this paperwork to McLafferty. After that, I'll probably be wandering around looking for more work. Getting into Vegas ain't cheap."

"You still hunting your man in the checkered suit?"

"Yeah, he's supposed to be there. Goes by the name of Benny and is supposed to be important or some shit."

"If that's the case, I got a question for you."

"What's that?"

"Mind if I tag along?"

"… You know, that's-"

…

"Mister Six!" Goodwitch shouted

My eyes snapped open and my head rapidly shook from side to side as I examined my surroundings. It took everything a second to come into focus. I was in the auditorium we were currently using to hold combat practice. Around me were the blurry visages of students and uniforms. I went to rub the sleep from my eyes and wound up awkwardly tapping my mask.

"Mmm- wuzzup?" I asked groggily.

Goodwitch sighed, "Mr. Six, I'm well aware learning isn't your strong suit, but could you please refrain from sleeping during lecture?"

With a clearer mind, I would have formulated a very subversive and possibly backhanded answer.

"Yea, sure, whatever."

I was not in a clearer mindset.

I'd been up late the previous night. There was a side project that was requiring my immediate attention. One that, if successful, would save me all kinds of grief in the long run. Unfortunately, it also required a fair bit of prep work and maintenance on my end. The past few days haven't left me with a lot of free time either. I've been scrambling to read everything I can get my hands on. I wasn't concerned about grades, though my teammates certainly seemed to hold them in high regard. I was doing it so I could read better than a six year old.

I was still waiting to hear from Ozpin about getting home, meaning adapting and adjusting was also an unfortunate necessity.

Normally though, not getting enough sleep wasn't a major detriment. I've gone long hours in the past, whether walking the trails or getting stuck in a shootout that wouldn't end. In the months prior to me becoming trapped in this place, I'd slept even less. It does catch up though, even with my maintaining a more regular sleep schedule. I would've probably skipped out on this class had anyone but Goodwitch been the teacher. Plus, if I could stay awake, I'd get to watch people kick the crap out of each other. Always entertaining.

"… As I was saying-" Goodwitch continued pointedly "The computer will monitor the combatant's conditions and display their present status on the holographic screens above."

Goodwitch made a motion towards two blank blue screens hovering in the air. "With that said, I believe it's time for a demonstration. Are there any students present who would care to participate?"

There was a small murmuring amongst the students. It seemed some of them were willing to step forward, but most of them didn't.

'Pansies, if you're gonna do it then step up.'

"How about you Mr. Six?" Goodwitch asked.

The murmuring stopped and I glared at Goodwitch from behind my mask. He was returning my look, though much more subtly. Which is surprising, since you can't even see my face. She was giving me a look that made it clear she wasn't asking me to volunteer. She was telling me to. Under normal circumstance, I wouldn't kowtow to someone who was trying to force me. Not without making it the most painful experience possible for the other involved party.

But, I was tired and not in the mood to give Goodwitch shit at the moment. Something that worried me ever so slightly.

"… Yeah, alright." I grumbled as I approached the combat platform. I weaved through the rest of the students present and climbed onto the elevated platform. I stood there for a moment, next to Goodwitch, waiting to see what came next.

"Is there anyone else present who would care to be part of this demonstration?" Goodwitch asked

More murmuring from the students.

"I'll step up." A familiar voice bubbled up from the crowd.

Students were barreled to the side as Yang pushed her way through.

'Well gee, who could've seen this coming?'

The bubbly blonde haired girl clambered onto the stage and stood on the opposite side of Goodwitch. She had this Cheshire grin on her face, like Christmas had come early or something… did this place have Christmas?

"Very well." Goodwitch said with a nod. "Would you kindly direct yourselves to the locker rooms and prepare for combat?"

Yang hoped back off the stage and headed towards the locker room. I followed at a slower pace, taking the time to weigh out how this was going to play out in my tired mind.

From everything I'd gathered, this was just supposed to be a sparring match. A friendly bout where we weren't supposed to kill each other. Unfortunately, most of what I have is only _meant_ for killing people or the myriad of creatures that got in my way. I didn't have a clear idea what weapon, or weapons, Yang used. Initiation had kept me preoccupied with deathclaws and falling from high places. I could vaguely remember seeing her with some sort of Ballistic Fist. I couldn't imagine she'd use _that_ for sparring practice. Not unless she was secretly harboring some deep seated resentment and was looking for a chance to off me. Which wouldn't make _too_ much sense. Normally people didn't want to kill me until after I'd gotten drunk. Although she wasn't all that happy when I brought up her parents.

Regardless, this didn't seem like a situation that warranted heavy action either. So I was going to play it light again. Possibly even lighter, considering it was just Yang and not a forest full of monsters. I changed out of my uniform and pulled on my park stroller outfit. I didn't have any light armor with me, and actually wearing armor for a practice match seemed a bit overkill. A couple bruises weren't going to kill me.

I wrapped my fists in boxing tape, this was supposed to be practice. I didn't have any intention to permanently harm or kill anyone present, so yeah: go light. I did have a few other implements that could be considered non-lethal but they seemed a tad overkill. Though it probably would've been funny to see Yang get tazed with a Cattle prod. Next time, maybe.

I finished my meager preparations and walked out of the locker room. By the time I had returned to the class, Yang was already there. Dressed in her usual attire, plus some yellow bracelets, and doing warm up stretches. Stretches that, given her the revealing nature of her attire, gave a not unwelcome view of her figure. As I approached she looked at me with a cocksure smile. Which then faded as she scanned me.

"Aww what, no special treatment?" She asked in disappointment

"It's… a sparring match?" I ventured "I don't mind a little hand to hand."

"If that's what you think." Goodwitch said as I took the stage. "Now if you'd both kindly connect your scrolls to the mainframe?"

Yang took out a small white tablet and tapped it in a few different places. Her face and a status bar then appeared on one of the holograms.

"… My what?" I asked in confusion

"Your scroll." Goodwitch reiterated

"Again, my what?"

Goodwitch stared at me for a moment, then seemed to remember that I knew nothing about this world. So why the hell would I know what a scroll is?

"Hmm… perhaps your odd situation means you don't have one?" She asked

'Gee, why don't you make it sound anymore suspicious'

"A scroll is a device that allows for you to communicate over long distances and observe your present condition. It also includes a GPS, clock, and camera."

There was a small snickering from some jackass in the crowd of students. Apparently my lack of seemingly _general_ knowledge was funny to them.

"Do you have something like that?" Goodwitch asked

"I got this-" I say, holding up my pip-boy. "It constantly monitors my condition if that's what you need to know."

Goodwitch nodded and examined it quickly. "Is there any way to connect it to the system?"

"Perhaps."

I pull a cable out of the lump of steel and circuits.

Goodwitch connected the cable to a small port on a tablet she herself was holding. Part of me was surprised it connected. The pip-boy was built with an omni-connect cable, which made it easy to connect to certain bits of technology and gather data. I guess it really was omniversal considering this place was filled with alien technology and it _still_ adapted to it.

There was a small grinding and beeping noises from my pip-boy as it connected to the device. I shifted my gaze up to my holographic screen and was met with an interesting sight.

It depicted Vault-boy trekking through a star lit desert, surrounded by cacti and tumble weeds. Far, far into the background I could see a silhouette of the Lucky 38. The entire image was comprised of the familiar black and amber glow I'd grown accustomed to on my pip-boy. I got a little nervous, nobody here knew what that image could represent but that just meant they might start asking questions.

Vault boy kept a happy pace as the desert passed by him. It took a minute, a _long_ silent minute of him walking before he stopped. Before him stood a depiction of Goodwitch, Ozpin, and Beacon academy. Vault-boy and Ozpin both extended hands and shook. The words "Handshake complete" scrawled across the empty sky and the screen faded back to a style similar to Yang's. With a plain status bar and image of my helmet, which I didn't know they'd taken come to think of it.

Both status bars were full and green, which I assumed meant it was good.

"With that, would you both take positions on the platform?" Goodwitch asked, disconnecting my cable.

Yang walked to an opposite end of the stage as I strode over to mine. We stared each other down as we took our stances. She still had that cocky smirk on her face, like she was enjoying the idea of us beating the tar out of each other.

"Are both combatants ready?" Goodwitch asked

"Yep." Yang confirmed cheerily

I grunted and gave a nod.

"Alright, then you may… Begin!"

On the word, we both sprang into action. Yang took a stance as I raised my fists and charged her. The instant I was ten feet away she cocked her fist back and I knew I fucked up. The yellow bracelets she was wearing expanded into a pair of gauntlets, shotgun shells visibly encircling them.

I don't know how she did it. Maybe it was a combination of my sleep deprived brain and general lack of knowledge. Under better circumstances, I could've easily dodged out of the way and countered. This wasn't better circumstances though, this was sleep deprived and underprepared me.

'OH SH-'

I ate a shotgun blast to the face, flew back several dozen feet, impacted a wall, and lost consciousness.

…

Before I even opened my eyes, the ringing in my head made it clear I was going to have a bad time. My head hurt worse than when I'd woken up in Goodsprings, something that I didn't know was possible. Perhaps getting blasted in the face with a shotgun hurts more than a 9mm to the head.

'… Meh, probably not.'

I cautiously cracked open my eyes and was assaulted by the soft lighting of the room through the harsh glare of my lenses. My body felt like gelatin and the shifting tones of light made the splitting pain in my head even worse. Minor prognosis: I've got a mild concussion.

I forced my eyes to focus and the world around me began to lose its blur, the light became sharper and softer to the eyes. I wasn't in the training area anymore, the soft pastels of the room general closeness of everything gave that away. By the smell of antiseptic and the feeling of cushion I was currently laid on, I was probably in a medical office of some manner. I had no recollection of how I'd gotten there, last I could remember was Yang socking me in the face.

'… The _hell_ was she thinking!? It was a sparring match! Was she trying to kill me!?'

With a heave, I sat up on what I assumed was some sort of Gurney. The motion made me want to puke and made the splitting pain in my brain even worse. But, I wasn't going to stay lying down. Especially not after getting blasted at point blank _again_. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, waiting for it to subside. I took stock of myself, from what I could feel I still had my boxing tape and spiked knuckles tucked away on me. They must've of forgotten to loot me afterwards.

"Ah, you're awake at last." A Tinny voice spoke from a short distance.

I quirked my eyes slowly open and looked in front of me. My vision was bleary, like an out of focus camera coated in oil. But I could make out the figure of a man in front of me. This situation was starting to feel a bit _too_ familiar, honestly.

My vision came slowly into focus and I got a look of the man. A thin figure with salt and pepper hair, looking to be a bit older than most but still with a sprightliness to him. I'd guess probably younger than port, so late forties. He had a thin mustache and clear keen eyes.

I tried to rise completely from the bed, fighting to keep my balance as gravity fought me. It was like having a hangover and being drunk without any of the benefits.

"I recommend you stay seated." The man said, flipping a page of a newspaper. "You took a pretty hard blow to the head. Odds are you won't-"

I suddenly dipped forward and crashed to the floor. The pain in my head stabbing violently to the front of my mind.

'ow…'

"-be walking for a short while more." The man finished with a sigh.

The man folded his newspaper and set it on his desk. He rose and walked towards me. With practiced care, he knelt and cupped an arm underneath my shoulder. With diligence he pulled me back to my feet and seated me back on my bed.

"You took a blow to the head I'm afraid, odds are you-"

"Have a mild concussion?" I answer rhetorically

"Why… yes. I take it this isn't a first?"

"Nope, I'm no stranger to getting hit in the head."

"Hmph, without an aura it's hard to imagine why." The man answered sarcastically

'… a what?'

The man stepped away and pulled out a scroll, taping at it as though he were typing something.

"… Where am I exactly?"

"The medical station down the hall from the sparring room." The man answered. "It does happen on occasion that someone overexerts or injuries themselves."

"I suppose that makes you a doctor then?"

"Mmm, I'm Dr. Azure and this-" He motioned to an empty door frame "Is nurse Ochre."

I waited a moment for someone to appear in the frame. But nobody appeared. The doorway remained empty as the doctor continued to tap at his scroll. He eventually took notice of the silence and sighed angrily.

"Nurse!" He said a little louder.

"Sorry!" a distant voice said from the hallway.

There was a clicking of shoes on tile and a woman in blue scrubs entered the door way. She had dark hair and amber colored eyes, coupled with a snubbed nose and small mouth. She looked at the doctor for a moment, then turned her head and took notice of me, surprised.

"Oh! You're already awake, excellent." She said with a small smile

Without wasting a beat, the nurse collected a number of tools from a nearby table and approached me. She laid the implements on the bed and introduced herself.

"Hello, I'm Nurse Ochre, I'm going to need to perform a quick physical examination now that you're awake."

"That's fine and all bu-"

"Excellent."

Without another word, Ochre began to assault me with implements. She whacked my knees with reflex hammers, shone a bright light into my eyes, snapped her fingers near the ear holes of my helmet, and began pinching me to check if I had any form of nerve damage.

"Ah, hey! Quit it!" I snapped, attempting not to exacerbate my headache

"-and done" Ochre said happily "It appears all of your faculties are in order despite that nasty blow to the head."

She quickly set to returning her tools as the doctor returned to his newspaper. "You're now free to leave whenever you're ready." He said with a level tone.

"Not one for bedside manner, are you?" I ask, preparing to steel myself and rise again.

"Normally people don't come in here due to physical injuries, so not really, no."

I glared at the doctor for a moment before taking a deep breath and pushing myself back on to my feet again. I was a bit more coherent after Ochre's assault, and managed to stay upright this time.

"How long was I out for?" I asked, carefully stepping towards the man with the newspaper.

"Approximately three hours, I'm surprised it wasn't longer" Azure added dryly. "Your teammates were worried when you didn't wake up."

"Psh, you'd think they'd never seen anyone get knocked out before."

I wobbled my way out of the medical office and back down the hall. From the look of things, class was had just let out and students were trickling out of the room. I spotted my teammates and the JNPR crew off to the side talking to Jaune, who looked a bit dejected. As I hobbled and wobbled closer, Yang's eyes flicked up and noticed me.

"Well how do you like that, he's up already." Yang said with a lighthearted smirk

"No thanks to you." I mumbled back

Everyone else took note of me as wobbled up to them.

"Are you alright?" Ruby asked, looking at my helmet. "You got rushed out of here so fast we weren't sure what happened."

"Yeah, I'm good, just a bit off kilter. What's going on here though?"

"Jaune had a match against Cardin" Pyrrha answered

"Oh, so he got his ass beat then?"

Everybody except Jaune proceeded to glare at me. Jaune probably would have if he wasn't so depressed looking.

"What, am I wrong?"

"You could at least word it better." Jaune mumbled

"… ok, how did it feel playing punching bag for a lummox like Cardin?"

 _Now_ Jaune glared up at me.

"Six!" Ruby shouted

"What? He asked me to word it better, doesn't mean it's going to sound any better."

"That's not what I-… ah, forget it." Jaune said, finally rising from his seat. "… You know, you didn't do much better yourself."

"Yeah? Well, I was half asleep and little ms. Knockout over there has a mean right-hook. What's your excuse?"

Jaune went to say something, but the moment he opened his mouth he went wide eyed and shut it. He clearly didn't have an excuse, or the one he did was poor enough that saying it probably wouldn't help his case.

"Why don't we regroup for lunch?" Offered Pyrrha, probably trying to shift focus.

"That sounds like a good idea." Ruby chimed "I think we could all use a bite to eat."

"… You know what? Yeah, why not." I agreed, earning a look of confusion from my teammates. They probably were thinking Yang hit me a little too hard now.

"…really? You're not going to put up a fight this time?" Ruby asked

"Nope, honestly the noise from the cafeteria might help me to not slip into a coma"

…

The cafeteria was about as noisy as a Friday night on the strip, though nowhere near as rowdy. The noise helped stave off my desire to take a nice long nap, so I was right about that. Perhaps it was a blessing in this instance, but my concussion had basically eradicated my hunger. Despite being surrounded by various tantalizing dishes, my appetite had all but disappeared. Funny how a good blow to the head can make all your discomfort go away.

Surprisingly, I wasn't the only one not eating. In fact, most of my present company weren't in the business of eating. Jaune had this dour look and was mindlessly pushing food around his plate. Weiss was filing her nails. Ruby and Pyrrha were looking at Jaune with concern. Blake was feverishly reading that book I lent her, having already made a noticeable dent in it. Which surprised me, it wasn't an easy book to read for a number of reasons. Yang on the other hand was enamored by some goofy tale Nora was rambling on about. Surprisingly, Nora was also the only person to actual eat. Having inhaled a small mountain of food in record time.

"So there we were, in the middle of the night~" Nora said ominously

"It was day." Ren corrected in disinterest

"We were surrounded by Ursai~" Nora continued unabashedly

"They were Beowolves." Ren corrected again

"Dozen's of them!"

"Two of 'em."

"But they were no match." Nora said with a wild smile "And in the end, Ren and I took them down, and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!"

'… Really living up to the motor mouth title, aren't you Nora?'

Ren sighed in exasperation, I felt for the guy, honestly. "She's been having this re-occurring dream for nearly a month now."

"… If you don't mind me asking-" I say deciding to ride the crazy train for a moment "- How exactly did you successfully skin them and make rugs? Don't they turn into smoke after you kill them?"

Ren looked at me for a moment then rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. Something tells me he'd already been down this road.

"Well you see-" Nora said, a manic look clear in her eyes "If you rip off the skin fast enough-"

"Ok- stop- no. I think I get the picture." I begin rubbing my mask, unable to reach my face. "Please, last thing I want to add to my list of current issues is further irreparable mental scarring."

Nora lost her manic smile and went into a pout. Being cut-off like that didn't make her happy, but I could see Ren silently thanking me.

"Sounds pretty un _bear_ able." Yang said with a grin

I fought the rising urge to add onto it, noticing the looks of my present company.

"… Jaune?" Pyrrha said, breaking my attention away from Nora's insanity "Are you ok?"

"-Huh? What?" Jaune asked, breaking his concentrated game of push the food. "… Oh, yeah, why?"

"It's just that you seem sort of… _not_ ok." Ruby said delicately.

Most of my present company shifted their attention towards Jaune, myself included. As a result, rather than perhaps talking about his issues, Jaune proceeded to figuratively curl inward on himself.

"Uh- guys, I'm fine! Seriously, look." He then proceeded to give a smile and thumbs up that would have made Kimball proud. Then he ruined it with a nervous chuckle.

"You look like someone has been kicking you in the balls for the last month." I say flatly.

Before anyone could react to my assessment, our attention was drawn a short distance away. It was drawn by a familiar, and needlessly obnoxious, laugh given by none other than Cardemom himself. He and his gang of friends were getting awfully… ' _chummy_ ' with a girl who looked familiar to me. The weird Rabbit head dress she was wearing was ringing a bell in my head.

"Oh hey, there's your kicker." I add

The sound of Jaune crushing his hand into a tight fist made it clear he heard me. He wasn't happy.

"Jaune, Cardin has been picking on you since the first week of school."

"W-what? No he hasn't." Jaune countered meekly "He's just… you know, messing around?"

"He's a _bully_." Ruby said, upset

'Believe the term you're looking for is shit-heel, Ruby.'

"Psh, oh please. Name one time he's 'bullied me'."

"… You want that chronologically or most recent?" I ask "Because there's fair sized list."

Jaune grew quiet as I called bullshit on him. That silence hung in the air a moment longer than I'd preferred, so I just went with the most recent one I could think of.

"… aight, yesterday at around three p.m., he tossed you into a garbage can and threw you down two flights of stairs."

The look of surprise everyone gave me made it clear they hadn't been made aware of _that_ one yet.

"H-Hey, it's not like I broke anything." Jaune chuckled nervously. "Besides, it was only garbage"

'Like your excuse.'

Pyrrha got a bit closer to Jaune, probably trying to get him to trust her a bit more. "Jaune, you know if you ever need help you can just ask, right?"

"Ooh!" Nora said suddenly, bursting up from the table and into a combat stance. Another ferociously manic grin creapt onto her face "We'll break his legs!"

Finally having enough of our prodding or perhaps wanting to avoid further issue, Jaune took his food as stepped away from the table.

"Guys, really, it's _fine_. Besides, he's not like he's only a jerk to me, he's a jerk to everyone."

'that doesn-'

"Ow! That hurts!" A new voice broke in.

I looked back to the source of the voice. It wasn't hard to find considering the source. Cardin had stepped up from harassment to molestation now, now tugging on the girl's headdress as she tried to pull away. A pained look on her face. I couldn't quite here what they were saying at our distance, but if I had to guess, it was something along the lines of asking Cardin to stop. Which he declined with a shit eating smirk and, what I assume, was an insult.

'It _hurts_? That's an odd choice of words.'

"Atrocious." Pyrrha nearly seethed "I can't stand people like him."

"He's not the only one." Blake grumbled, looking up from her book

"It must be hard being a Faunus." Yang said with unusual melancholy.

"I don't see what the big deal is-" I say "She should just take them off if she wants to get away from him."

Everyone glared at me like I'd just insulted their mothers, Blake especially.

"… What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Take them off? Take them _off_?" Blake asked angrily

"uhh… yeah?"

The glare Blake was giving me intensified. What was once just heated could now glass the entire Mojave. "Do you have _any_ idea what you're saying!?"

"Kind of, yea. I mean it wouldn't be hard, might take a second or two but it's pretty simple."

The looks everyone had been giving me contorted from general disdain to full appall. Even Nora, who moments earlier had been talking about ripping the skin off of live Grimm looked at me like I was a sociopath. The only one who seemed the least appalled was Weiss, but I think she was just trying to block everything out.

'What kind of landmine did I step on?'

"… I-" Ruby stammered after a moment of silence "- I'm a bit confused. Six, you don't actually mean what you're saying, right?"

"… Why not? I mean it's not like it would hurt, would it?"

Ruby's face went pale for a second. Paler than she already is anyway.

"Yes!" Blake nearly shouted "Yes it would!"

"What, Why? Did she glue them to her head or something?"

"… Those are her ears!"

'… I'm sorry, what?'

"Excuse me?"

"Those are her ears! You can't just cut them of-"

"Whoa, hold up. Who said anything about cutting ears off?"

Now everyone was just confused.

"You did." Ruby said, getting some color back "Not even thirty seconds ago."

"I said no such thing, I said she should take off that ridiculous head-thing she's wearing."

"Ridiculous… head thing?" Blake asked in confusion

"Yea, if someone grabbed you by the bow, would you let them drag you around or lose the bow to put some distance between you?"

"I'd… lose the bow."

"Exactly, but what do you mean 'those are her ears'?"

Everyone at the table was now exchanging looks, like they were still debating if I was psychotic or just _really_ stupid.

"She's… a faunus." Yang said at last, like that was supposed to be an answer.

"Ok, and?"

"'And' what? She's a faunus, simple as that."

"…"

'I get the feeling I'm making an implication about myself-'

"Six…" Pyrrha spoke up "You do know what a faunus is, correct?"

'-Shit!Shit!Shit!-'

"… totally, I mean what illiterate idiot wouldn't?"

My wording of that statement only served to confuse everyone further, including Pyrrha.

"… after all, they'd have to have been taught old Sanusian or something…"

Further confusion, Pyrrha still wasn't getting the message. Neither was Blake apparently.

"… or Have suffered recent head trauma." I say in agitation

… nothing. Graham dammit these people were denser than Vault Concrete.

"… *sigh* No." I finally say, tired of trying to be subtle. "I don't know what a Faunus is."

That got a reaction out of them. Now their confusion was mixed with, perhaps justified, skepticism and incredulity.

"How could you _not_ know what a Faunus is!?" Weiss asked, probably further addled by lack of seemingly common knowledge.

"Because no one ever explained it to me?" I offer in truth

"Explained it?- They are literally everywhere!"

"Yeah, I've gathered that much snowflake, but what does it mean? What is a Faunus?"

Weiss seethed for a moment, apparently agitated by the topic for reasons beyond my understanding. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, only after exhaling did she try to explain.

"A Faunus-" Weiss started, in what I assume was her best attempt at calm "- Are a race of humanoid people, Who are… _distinguished_ from humans by certain physical traits.'

'… so, they're this world's equivalent to ghouls?'

"What kind of physical traits exactly?"

"Do you see the ears on that girl's head?" Weiss pointed to the girl, who Cardin was getting a little rougher with.

"Yea but-"

I stopped talking as things finally clicked together in my head.

"… I think he's getting it." I heard Yang whisper.

I didn't say anything immediately. Everything was too busy pulling itself together in my head. Suddenly all of Byzantium's initial antagonism and behavior made sense, the crowd's reaction to the robbery, the news about protests, all of it. Full blown civil strife over race. There were a few things I didn't understand still but they were going to click together without too much effort, something told me. But it made sense now, the faunus were a different race, maybe even a different species. One that was otherwise indistinguishable from humans. Save for some odd, animalistic traits.

The image of the protesters, Byzantium's horns, The girl's ears; they weren't statements.

They were real.

'… And I cracked a joke about it.'

For the briefest of moments my mind clear and I could recollect every detail of our conversation in the pizzeria. In perfect, crystalline detail.

I buried my face into my hands for a moment. My present company couldn't see my face but I think they could read me current frame of mind pretty easy. I screwed up badly and I knew it.

"You doing ok Six?" Ruby asked

"… Could you give me a moment? I'm still processing."

I was recovering quickly from my mistakes, even with the lingering dregs of my concussion. But now my mind was moving to a new topic. Cardin was still sitting there. He was still pulling this girl's ear like it was some game, and smiling about it the entire time. He wasn't like me, he _knew_ they were real. He was intentionally hurting this girl and laughing it up. This _shit-stain_ was intentionally hurting an otherwise innocent girl, who was just trying to enjoy her lunch. He wasn't just a bully he was a bigot. I know how to deal with Bigots.

Just ask Caesar.

I lowered my hands from my mask and glared at Cardin through my mask. Concussion be damned. I was going to make this boy hurt. I already had a small plan in my mind when I got moving.

"Jaune." I said, my voice as calm as I could make it "If you aren't going to eat, could I have your food?"

"Huh?" Jaune answered, confused

"Your food. Give it to me… please."

Jaune looked at everyone before handing me his untouched food.

"Thank you."

Taking his utensils, I pivoted a spoon on the edge of his plate. Sinking the head of it into the mish mash of gunk on his plate. Even with a pounding head I could still aim straight, I lined up on my target.

"Uh-" Jaune stammered "What are y-"

*BAM*

*SPLAT*

"What the-!?"

The smirk vanished from Cardin's face as he was greeted with a mashed potato and corn facial. The pasty white substance smeared across his face messily, covering much of its left side. In his surprise, he released his grip on the girl's ear and she scampered off, fast as she dared.

'Run along, little rabbit.'

Cardin dabbed tentatively at the starchy white mess on his face. Realizing what it was, he quickly smeared it off and shifted his gaze around the nearby room. He looked pissed.

"Why did you do that!?" Jaune squeaked

"Because I want to break his legs." I say in the calmest voice I can manage.

I slipped my boxing tape back out of my pocket and began wrapping my hands under the table. I had a feeling I knew how things were going to play out next, it's why I did what I did. It was confirmed when Cardin stopped searching the room and narrowed his eyes at our table. He left his vulture teammates behind and stormed towards our table. My heart quickened but my mind was clear. The moment that jackass made a wrong move I was going to rend his world asunder. Might not have even waited for that, might have just threw myself at him before he even opened his mouth.

Probably would've too, except he didn't come for me.

Cardin must've been thirty different flavors of dense because instead of coming for me, who currently had a plate of food in front of him, He went for Jaune. He grabbed Jaune by the collar and foisted him into the air.

"Think you're funny wimp?" Cardin growled

"W-what!?" Jaune said, sounding like he was going to piss himself "N-no I-"

"Why don't we see how funny you feel after I-"

"You got something on your face Jackass." I interrupt from my seat

Cardin glared at me, not yet releasing Jaune. "Stay out of this unless you want to join him, limp-dick"

"Ooh, haven't heard that one in a while. Tell you what, you put him down and I'll actually give you a chance to square up."

Cardin didn't, but at this point my initial plan of action had gone out the window anyway. I was now even more pissed and had the feeling my opportunity to beat Cardin into the floor was now gone. Which meant it was time for plan B.

"Alright, Cardin, how are your math skills?" I ask, getting up from my seat.

"My what?" The armor clad boy asked

"Your math skills. I'm assuming that shriveled brain of yours is still capable of counting to ten right?"

Cardin's eyes widened for a moment before concentrating back into a glare. He dropped Jaune and began stalking towards me as I did to him.

"Because unless you've got the strength of Atlas at your back, I think we've got you beat."

"Oh yeah?" He growled

"Yeah, because last I checked nine beats four."

"The hell-"

I pointed at the table and Cardin stopped walking as he looked. _Everyone_ was now glaring at him. They may not have been happy with how he was treating the rabbit girl, but now he'd actively attacked Jaune. They may or may not have had my back, but I didn't need them to be. I just needed them to play along.

"Assuming you're dumbass friends join in." I continue "If they don't, then it's nine on one. Now I may have some shitty luck, but these guys and gals? They'll eat you alive."

As if sensing what I was trying to do, Nora gave another of her manic grins. Using the discomfort that crossed Cardin's face as a sign, I dove forward and got right in his face. Making sure he got a good view of my mask's goggles.

"Let me give you some advice." I said, breaking my previous calm with a furious hiss. "Turn around and walk the _fuck_ away before I crack your skull open like an egg."

His face was frozen, but I was close enough to see the fear in his eyes. Looks like plan B worked.

'Courier: four, Assholes: zip. I guess it pays to have a Terrifying Presence.'

Cardin's eyes darted back and forth between the table and me for a moment. He gave a small, irritated growl and hurried back to his group of twit friends.

"-and clean yourself up, you look like a slob!" I say as he retreats.

I took a deep breath, trying to push back my unburnt anger. Unfortunately, I still _very_ much wanted to follow after him and plant my fist in the back of his skull. But I knew better, I was going to have to find a different outlet. Which meant separating from everyone for a bit. Just had to word things right.

"I'm going to take a piss." I growled, walking past Jaune

'eh, close enough.'

…

I placed a hand against the wall for balance as I relieved myself. I won't give you the details, so don't ask. My heart was still hammering a mile a minute and I didn't know what to do about it. I was angry, but I didn't have an outlet. I hadn't been fond of Cardin since he always kind of struck me as being a stupid prick. Now I just wanted commit a series of acts that would probably land me in a cell. My concussion probably wasn't helping. It was probably clouding my mind, just a bit. But that didn't change the fact I wanted to do something about Cardin. His kind of shit shouldn't be allowed to fly if this was supposed to be the 'academy of heroes' everyone kept claiming. A little horse play is fine, but that wasn't what he doing.

'… I think I've got Oobleck's class next. He's there too…'

For a moment I entertained the idea of conjuring up a new plan. I knew the setting and he wouldn't be expecting it. I could grab a stealth boy and my cattleprod, wait until I got a clean shot at him. But what good would it do? He seemed like the sort of snake that'd try playing the victim card afterwards. All I'd succeed in was getting myself in trouble and him getting off scot-free for his shit… But I'd probably enjoy it.

'… no, that won't do.'

Maybe the best solution was just to remove myself from the situation all together. I could step back and tell somebody, let them handle it. Couldn't tell Goodwitch though, on some level that felt like admitting defeat to her. But maybe Ozpin?

Ozpin was the headmaster, basically the principal. It was his _job_ to smack idiots around when they got out of line like Cardin. He hasn't done anything yet, seems like it anyway, maybe he wasn't aware. If I brought it to him, he might be able to put Cardin's nuts in a vice and straighten him out.

'Hmm… it could work, it's less gratifying but I'd be able to keep myself out of Goodwitch's sights and still knock Cardin down a peg.'

It seemed the better option. Plus, I'd been meaning to talk with Ozpin anyway in relation to my more important issue. I could probably skip out on Oobleck's class and hash things out with Ozpin, after that I was basically free for the day… I guess that settled it. I was still angry but there was really nothing for that.

'… this has got to be the longest piss I've ever taken.'

I finished my business and closed my fly. I had a new plan and I was going to do what I could to stick to it. I removed my wraps and began to wash my hands when I heard the door open behind me. There was a small group of footsteps that stopped behind me. Looking in the mirror over the sink, I noticed Cardin's Goon squad was standing behind me.

"… Nothing ever goes how want, when I want, does it?" I sighed

"We don't _appreciate_ the way you talked to Cardin." One of them said, He had a pale green Mohawk. I think his name was Trash or something. I think the other two were Dope and Lake.

"Sounds like a whole lotta his problem and not yours." I say, drying my hands off. "Walk out of here right now and I-"

Before I could finish, Trash lunged and socked me in the side of the head. A small explosion went off in my head as he kicked the back of my leg and smacked my head into the sink. Would've messed me up, if it weren't for my helmet.

"We're just gonna make sure it doesn't happen again." One of the other goons said, didn't see which. Might've been Lake.

I put some weight against the sink and tried to keep balance as Trash took a step back. He was cocky, probably saw my little dust up with Yang. If he were from the wasteland he would've kept wailing. His mistake.

"… Heh, ha ha" I gave a raspy chuckle, A small unnerved look crossed trash's face "Good. I was worried for minute. Most people don't know how to throw a good punch."

I was on my feet and facing the boys in the blink of an eye. I didn't have time to get my wraps on, so I just left them in my pockets. I took a stance and the three boys looked at each other in amusement. They had the numbers advantage and felt secure in that.

I needed to fix that.

I didn't allow them to take a stance, this wasn't a match. I rushed Trash and shoulder checked him, pushing with all of my weight and knocking off his feet. His friends reacted faster than he did, taking a shot at me while I was in range. I dipped down and sprang backwards as they both narrowly avoided hitting each other like a pair of stooges.

With the speed of a nightstalker and the grace of a cazador I swarmed up on Lake before he could recover. My left hand snapped forward in a flicker jab once, twice, thrice. Lake reeled back, they probably didn't hurt given people here seem to have a dulled sense of pain. But they weren't meant to. The cross I followed it up with was. It connected and his head snapped back like it was on a wire. He stumbled and hit the wall clenching his face. He wasn't going to stay down, that wasn't anywhere near enough. But it gave me room to deal with Dope.

Dope threw himself at me, arms spread wide so I couldn't bob out of the way. He connected and I was pushed back, almost smacking back into the sink. He clenched his arms around me in a bear hug, trying to restrain me while his friends got up. Probably wanted to crush the breath out of me too. Before he could, I kicked a leg up onto the sink and foisted myself upwards. The sudden shift pushed Dope off kilter and he stumbled. I drove it home by pushing off the sink, careening us both to the floor. I landed with a drive knee into his gut. The noise he made clarified that yes, it hurt. His grip slackened and I pushed off of him. Giving him a punch in the nose for good measure while his head was against the floor.

I scrambled to my feet as Trash and Lake got back to theirs. They rushed me, Trash was coming with a tackle and Lake looked like he was going to try and do some overhead punch.

Trash came first, before he connected I drove my knee up and hit him in the gut before pushing him into Lake. They staggered and I rushed. I saved Trash for later and Uppercut Lake before ramming my elbow into the side of his head. He struggled to keep his footing and found a brace against the wall of a stall. I started to recover, but not before took the chance to heel kick him in the gut.

"Asshole!" Trash shouted angrily

He took another shot at my head, connecting with the back of it. A smaller explosion went off in my head this time. It wasn't as clean a hit. He followed it with a series of jabs to my left shoulder. They hurt, but I've had worse.

I turned and put my guard up, giving him a harder target and let him wail on it. I couldn't wait for him to tire out, his buddies were already stirring. Taking a note from Veronica's book, the last punch he threw whiffed the air. My arm snaked passed his and planted itself in his chest. I then swept my arm and knocked his away, exposing his torso. I took the chance, my arms pivoting and flickering as I delivered as many jabs as my arms would give to him. He was back pedaling, trying to get space while I pushed the air out of his with my fists. He stumbled in front of the bathroom door and I knew what my next move was.

With a small back step, I sprang forward with all of my weight. An open palm collided with Trash's chest as my Ranger Takedown landed. He smacked against the door before ripping it off the hinges and ragdolling through the doorway. The splintered door crashed noisily into the floor with Trash skittering into the splinters. I rushed out after him before he could rise again and kicked him hard in the side of the head.

'Turnabout, bitch!'

My eyes darted around the hallway quickly. Needed to make sure Cardin didn't have anything else waiting. I was instead with the surprised eyes of the students pouring out of the cafeteria. Explaining my innocence just got a little harder.

"RRRRAAAAAA!" roared Dope as he flew out of the doorway.

I turned in time to catch a full force punch to the chest. The breath escaped my lungs as I dipped away from his follow up. I kicked out at his left knee. It didn't stumble him, but I saw his stance pivot until the joint locked up. He punched down at me and I rolled a few feet away. I sprang to my feet and backpedaled, putting some space between us as Lake stumbled out of the bathroom.

Trash groaned and picked himself up, looking no worse for wear after a kick to the head. They were all like that. They didn't look hurt but they were clearly winded. I seriously wanted to know what these asshole were on and where I could find some.

We stared each other down, them panting and waiting for an opening. I was sizing them up. I wasn't afraid to fight dirty. Just needed to know where to hit.

Dope's leg.

Lake's Jaw.

Trash's chest, maybe.

I knew what I had to do.

"Last chance." I say, my voice not so even now. "Stop or the nurse gets to practice her stitches tonight."

They gave a dry, hoarse laugh.

"You think we're afraid of you?" Trash laughed

"You should be." I growled "When it comes to endurance I'm not just bulletproof. I'm-"

Dope rushed me, trying to catch me off guard. I punched him in the throat and drove my heel into his locked me. I hit it like I meant, his knee left it's socket with a wet *pop*. He howled and I drove my knee into his face, silencing him as he hit the floor.

" _Unstoppable._ " I finished

Watching their friend fall like a log rattled Trash and Lake and I used it. I rushed Trash and gave him a short series of Jabs to the chest, making sure the wind was out of him. I finished with an improvised Legion Assault. They never taught me it but it wasn't hard to figure out, it was just an amped up Grognak punch.

Lake moved too late. He went to try and help trash and caught another uppercut to the chin. I didn't stop though, I grabbed him by collar and threw him to the nearest window. He collided with it and a spider web of cracks formed. I lunged and punched his head through the glass. Glass rained outside as he head ran through the window. I gripped his hair, pulled him back, and smashed his head through two more, just to be sure. After that I dropped him to the floor

I exhaled and surveyed my work. They were all breathing, but weren't getting up for a few more minutes. The crowd from the cafeteria had gathered and was watching like vultures. No sympathy, anyone of them could've jumped in and stopped me or Cardin's Goons. Far as I'm concerned they could all screw off.

Trash was starting to crawl away, it was slow and he clearly wasn't in fighting shape anymore. Any other day I would have gone over, put my knee on his chest and wailed on him until he wasn't moving. But he was a kid, not a raider. He was a dickbag, sure, but that wasn't a justification for me to kill him. If anything, this just put some fear into them. They needed to be taught a lesson, if it wasn't me now it would be someone else who might not have my moral compunctions. I'm not about to kill some idiot teenagers for their tendencies. There was a chance they'd change.

A nigh non-existent chance, but a chance all the same.

"Whoa." A familiar voice said

I looked into the crowd and noticed that among the gathered students my teammates and the JNPR crew were watching. Each of them had some degree of shock and respect on their faces. There may have been some fear there too, but I think they knew I meant no harm now.

Then there was Nora. Who looked like she just saw the most amazing spectacle since the discovery of dynamite.

"What is the meaning of this!" A shrill voice cut in.

'Aw crap.'

I looked behind me and Goodwitch was standing there with her riding crop. Her usual pissed look on her face.

…

After taking Trash and the boys to the nurse's office, Goodwitch hauled me in to Ozpin. Despite my somewhat vicious beating he was still willing to listen to my side of the story. I told him everything, made sure he had people who could corroborate on this if need be. Though it seemed he was willing to believe me to a degree.

"This… wasn't unexpected." Ozpin admitted "Cardin had a record as being a bit of a trouble maker. It appears that he hasn't left it behind yet."

"No kidding?" I asked "I thought it was common for people to abuse each other in public."

"Perhaps in your wasteland." He chuckled

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "On a more serious note, I think it's time we talk about something else."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, I don't know, my 'situation' perhaps?"

"I assumed as much." He chuckled again.

"You laugh, but you're not the one stuck on an alien world."

"Yes, but you seem to be adapting."

"No thanks to you, but that's not the point."

"Then what is?"

"… I've been here for a month now, Ozpin." I got up and walked over to one of the windows that ringed his clockwork office. "In that time, I've been forced to adapt and accept this world for what it is."

Ozpin sipped coffee from his mug, letting me continue.

"I've learned that Gold and silver are worth something here. I'm learning to read an entirely different script from the one I grew up with. I've learned what a 'faunus' is, and seen how they're treated. And, to top it off, apparently I'm missing something called an Aura."

That last one earned a confused look from Ozpin. "... And?"

"And… this isn't my world."

Ozpin nodded

"I need to get home Ozpin. I've been here a month now and despite everything I've got no clue how or when I'll get back. But I have to."

Ozpin rose from his seat and joined me at the window. He gave me a sympathetic smile.

"You want to know how things are going?"

"Obviously."

"… I have a trusted friend working on it. He has a team of researchers and scientists trying to find a way to get you home. Their progress is slow, but I promise he'll help, you just need to be patient."

"It's hard to be patient when responsibility falls to you."

"And what responsibility is that?" He asked with a smirk

"… The kind I'm not going to let you suss out of me." I say with my own smirk.

"Very well. But my promise stands regardless." Ozpin returned to his desk "I'll get you home somehow."

"I'm trusting you to."

"I promise it is not misplaced either… Now then, If we are done here, I'd like you to report to professor Peach's office."

I turned away from the window. "What for?"

"You're punishment of course." A smile spread across Ozpin's face "You didn't assume you could assault your fellow students and damage school property without consequence, now did you?"

...

After sending the courier away, Ozpin remained seated at his desk. His mind thinking over their conversation. He'd assumed that the courier was hiding somethings from him. Potentially damaging things. But the courier's demeanor implied that whatever he was hiding, it was his responsibility to return to it. On a level, Ozpin could respect that kind of attitude.

"How did your conversation go?" Glynda asked, entering the room

"Peacefully." Ozpin said "He seemed to understand he was responsible for what he'd done and accepted the punishment for it."

"Hmm, perhaps there's something redeemable about him after all."

"Perhaps more, if you weren't openly antagonistic with him."

Glynda fixed Ozpin with a stern look. "I have no idea what you are implying."

Ozpin chuckled at that and sipped his coffee. "... Were you aware that he lacked an aura?"

"Not until after the incident this morning."

"Neither was I." Ozpin's gaze shifted back out the window where the courier had stood. "It's amazing really. To survive a world like the one he told us about, and then survive in this one as well by his own physical strength and wit."

Ozpin had seen the footage from initiation. While he'd been satisfied with Six's performance, even surprised once he'd returned from below the cliff, he hadn't thought much of it. Now, knowing he'd survived without a huntsman's most fundamental tool, he was impressed.

"He'll make an excellent huntsman." Ozpin said with a soft smile.

"I take it you do not wish to unlock his aura?" Goodwitch continued

"... no, I think it best he continue as he has. Forcing him to accept change will only make him resist harder. When he's ready, I've no doubt he'll reach out to someone."

"I understand... I take it you haven't told him about James then."

Ozpin's smile faded and his eyes fell to his mug. He stared at his own reflection in the dark liquid it held.

"... In all my years, there are few things that can drive people like hope. Even if it's tiny, people will chase anything if there's hope. He's clinging to the idea that he'll be able to return home. I believe it's the only thing that's kept him here so far."

"And you do not want to see him lose hope?"

Ozpin's smile returned to its face. but it no longer held the same tone it once did. Now it was tinged with a melancholic sadness. "I think he needs it the most. Without it, he'd give up and let himself fade away or become lost... No, let him hope. He needs something to hold on to."

* * *

 **There we go again, Another chapter. She was crazy, took forever to write but felt worth it in the end.**

 **"Guest": The Vault 21 incident is an incident that we don't talk about.**

 **"Dekuton": Yeah, seemed appropriate though, It's only hard until it's over.**

 **"Hitler's Mustache": Honestly can't say, I haven't read Huck Finn in a long time so I can't remember if they mention it at all. Even if they did, it's a fantasy novel anyway.**

 **As per the usual, all thoughts, comments, questions, ramblings, and terrible jokes are welcome;**

 **This Fanfic was brought to you by Torchwick's school for Maniacal Youngsters. Teach your young ones to do wrong, right, with Torchwick**

 **Adios.**

 **\- Ash**


	8. Courier in the Chibi (April fools)

For the briefest of moments, everything hurt. It felt like every bone in my body had been shattered and my nerves flayed. Like someone had stuffed me foot first into a wood chipper while I was hung over. If it had lasted any longer than it did, I would've been wailing at the top of my lungs.

But it was only for a second. After that, I just felt horribly hungover.

I cracked my eyes open and let the dull light of my closet filter through the goggles of my gas mask. Everything seemed to be in order, water heaters were boiling and the brooms were doing whatever brooms do when not in use. Vegetate, I guess.

'Urgh, the hell happened last night?'

With effort, I sat myself up right on my cot. My head was swimming and aching. Something had happened last night, but I couldn't remember what. I looked down at the floor and soon learned why. Littered all around my room were empty glass bottles.

'… oh yeah! I found Ozpin's secret stash last night.'

I smirked a little at the thought. I figured someone like Ozpin had to be hiding liquor somewhere. How could you run a school full of angsty and hormonal teenagers without an occasional nip o' the good stuff?

I'd helped myself to it and I regretted nothing. Even with the hangover.

But something still felt off and I couldn't quite put my finger on what. Even through my delirium everything looked to be about the same. Maybe the colors of everything seemed a bit more solid and flat, but I could chock that to the hangover. In the end, I wasn't quite sure why everything felt off.

I pushed myself off of the cot and went to get dressed. Looking at my small pile of clothes though, I noticed that my Uniform and Parkstroller outfit were already folded there. I looked down and noticed I was wearing my riot gear. I then _also_ realized why everything seemed so different.

Someone had hacked my legs down into stumps.

Well, 'hacked' is a bit extreme. More like they'd removed huge sections of bone and left me of a more… stumpy stature. Nevertheless-

"What the hell!?" I shout, practically leaping into the air in surprise.

I pulled up my pant leg and began checking my stumps. I still had knees and, judging by the wriggling in my boots, Feet and toes as well. But my legs were smaller and pudgier than they should've been. Nothing felt missing or out of place, just smaller. Which wasn't unfamiliar, this wasn't the first time I'd had to deal with size issues recently.

No, not like that, pervert.

Everything about me seemed to be proportional, but that didn't change the fact that I'd somehow shrunk. _Again_.

"Everything ok Six?" A voice asked from outside my door, it sounded like Ruby.

"Uh, y-yeah." I answer pulling my pant leg back down.

"Then hurry up, we're late for class!"

"O-ok."

'Crap, I can't go to class like this! There's no explaining how I turned from semi-normal to… this, in a single night.'

I began looking around the room for something to help disguise my new physical ailments. Unfortunately, I didn't have much in the way of prosthetics. After all, up until this point I hadn't needed to worry about being shrunk so small.

"Hey, what's taking so long?" another voiced asked from beyond the door. It sounded like Yang.

"Just a second!" I reiterated, scrambling to come up with some sort of stilts.

"We don't have time Six!"

"I'm-"

Before I could answer, the door was blown off the hinges by Yang. The ruined door to my room settled to the floor in pieces. Standing on the other side of the door was Yang, her fist outstretched and a smirk on her face. There was just one _key_ difference from normal.

"What the fuck is wrong with your head!?" I shouted

The two girls standing on the opposite side of the doorway looked very much like Ruby and Yang. Same clothes, hair, eyes, everything. But they seemed to be suffering from whatever was affecting me. They themselves were shrunk down and made oddly pudgy. But there was another, even more noticeable trait. Their heads were nearly three times their ordinary size, with eyes and mouths to match.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Yang asked angrily

"Head! Legs! What the hell happened to you guys!?"

Yang and Ruby shared a look like I was crazy.

"What are you talking about? We're fine." Ruby answered

"But… but your heads…"

"What is taking so long!?" A shrill voice asked

Weiss sauntered quickly down the hallway, Blake in close pursuit. Both of them were suffering from the disease that had crept into the rest of us.

"We're late, let's go!" Weiss said, disappearing from view.

"W-wait up!" Ruby shouted, taking off after her deformed teammates.

"Let's go Six!" Yang said with a smirk "Don't want to be late to Oobleck's classes."

Yang took off after the rest of them and I just stood there. Staring through the door frame and wondering what the hell was going on.

'what the hell is going on?'

"Push Ren!" Jaune shouted from beyond the doorway.

"I _am_ " The normally soft spoken Ren growled.

Through the door frame, I watched as Jaune and Ren slowly crept by. The reason why? They were pushing Nora, who was swollen up like a balloon and looked like she was dazed. She softly groaned and had this complacent smile on her face.

"I told you making all those pancakes was a bad idea." Ren said, still pushing

"Yea yea, I know. I thought she had a little self control."

Ren didn't bother to reply to that, instead he just kept pushing as they passed my doorway.

'… yeah, fuck today. I'm going back to sleep.'

* * *

 **Happy April First,**

 **See you all in a few weeks**


	9. Flower in the Bloom

Disclaimer: "Wings" and "Mirror Mirror" Are property of Rooster Teeth... I think.

I slumped against the wall of the dorm hallway as I let my weary mind finally have a moment to rest. Today had been nothing but an ass-ache since I woke up in Goodwitch's class. First the concussion, then the nurse assaulted me, _then_ Cardin made me blow a gasket, **_then_** I got sucker punched in the back of the head, **_THEN_** Ozpin tells me he's still got nothing, **_and FINALLY_** ; to cap off all of this shit, I'm stuck helping a professor I hardly know as punishment for self-defense.

'Graham dammit I need a drink.'

Today was probably the second longest one I'd had since I arrived in this world. The first being initiation day for many obvious reasons. The only saving grace of today was I got to talk with Ozpin about my situation. Even that hadn't been all that great since it amounted to a giant 'be patient'.

At least I got to skip out on class after my little bout. Instead, I just got stuck helping Peach for the rest of my afternoon. Whoopee.

With a heave, I pushed myself off the wall and stumbled further along. I still wasn't hungry, guess my concussion was still working its magic. I was just going to peel my clothes off and crawl into my cot. I just wanted things to be over already.

"-Don't think he's in there." A feminine voice said from around a corner, it sounded like Yang.

"Well he didn't show up for class." Another voice answered, even with a concussion the high pitch of Ruby's voice was unmistakable.

I stopped walking and carefully eased myself against the wall. With all the grace I could wrestle from my tired bones, I stealthily peered around the corner. I was right in my assumption: My teammates were on the other side of the corner. They were standing in front of my closet and waiting. Weiss standing closest, Ruby and Yang sharing second, and Blake reading in last.

Weiss rapped her hand against the closet door again. "I know you're in there!" She said, annoyed

"I'm telling you, he isn't in there." Yang reiterated "Do you really think he wouldn't respond after five minutes of knocking?"

"He's in there, I know it. Where else would he go?"

"He could be at the library." Ruby offered "Or maybe dinner?"

"Maybe he's taking a nap." Blake said absently, apparently not interested in our teammates' pandemonium. "He has had a long day"

"Why would he? He said he had a concussion, if he went to sleep he wouldn't… wake… up."

A look of unease settled over my teammates.

"Move." Yang said, pushing Weiss aside. Yang moved in front of the door, cocked her fist back and punched the door open. The sound of bending metal meant she hadn't taken the door off its hinges, mercifully, but she'd probably mangled the latch and strike plate. She ducked her head into the doorframe for a moment, then bobbed back out. "… I was right."

'And now I have to fix my door.' I thought bitterly.

I wasn't in the mood for anymore insanity today. I carefully pulled my head back around the corner and rebalanced myself. Sneaking away and finding a place to lay low was probably my best bet. I could probably avoid them until at least tomorrow morning. By then I'd probably have avoided at least the brunt of whatever they wanted from me.

I carefully began to turn around, taking great care not to lose my balance and hit the floor. I completed my turn and was face to face with a pair of Ice blue orbs.

"Found you!" Nora shouted merrily

"Gah!"

I stumbled backwards, quickly losing my balance and planting my butt into the ground. Nora stood above me with a toothy grin, Ren was behind her and looking as tranquil and unassuming as usual.

"I told you it wasn't a good idea." Ren said nonchalantly

"He he, sorry." Nora said, still smiling

"Hey, there he is." Ruby said, apparently noticing the commotion.

'Welp, so much for a quiet evening.'

My presence now noticed, my teammates trotted over to me. I hauled myself off the floor and prepared for whatever trouble they had to give me.

Yang punched me in the arm. "That was awesome!"

"Uh… what?"

"The fight, when you kicked the crap out of team CRDL? It was awesome!"

"… Really?"

"Totally!" Ruby joined in. "You were all 'Wha-cha!' and 'hiya!' and it was awesome!"

Ruby made several mock kung-fu stances in emphasis.

"I… wasn't expecting that. I thought you were going to chew me out or something."

"Why?" Yang asked

"Because I- I don't know- Beat the crap outta three people?"

"Language-" Weiss interjected "- and if it had been anyone aside from those three, I'd agree with you."

"Yea!" Nora re-established herself "No one's going to care if you beat _them_ up."

Everyone nodded in agreement at that.

"Well Ozpin certainly did, considering he stuck me with a punishment anyway."

"Eh, it's his job." Yang shrugged "More importantly though, Why didn't you do any of that during practice?"

"… I was half asleep." I answered flatly "Plus, you kinda socked me before I got lucid enough to react."

"Y-yea, sorry about that." Yang said bashfully "I thought with all the hits you took during initiation your aura was a bit stronger."

"Eh, don't worry. I'm not dead so I suppose I can't complain too much."

'There's that 'aura' word again. If this is anything like the Faunus thing earlier today I'm gonna come out looking like an idiot if I don't find a way to talk about it.'

"Speaking of fighting-" Nora interrupted gleefully "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Uh-"

"I was going to ask that too." Yang agreed "I didn't recognize any of the moves you made."

"W-well, a friend of mine gave me some training a while back. She said it was based on a couple of martial arts from the Old Wor- ways."

'Whoops, that was a close one.'

"Old ways?" Ren asked in confusion "Where are you from exactly?"

'shit, what did I say again?'

"The- uh- mountains in Northern Mistral."

Ren's eyes widened a little bit.

"You're from Mistral!?" Nora asked excitedly "So are we!"

'OH GRAHAM FUCKING DAMMIT!'

"Y-yep." I say through gritted teeth "Born and raised."

"Ooh! What's the name of your village?"

"We- uh- never really gave it a name, It's just this small place on the frontier too. Not much point in giving it a name. Y'know?"

"I thought it was called the Mojav or something." Ruby offered helpfully

'Stay out of this Ruby!'

"The Mojav?" Ren asked in confusion

"Y-yes. Like I said, it's a small place so you probably wouldn't have heard of it."

"Oh don't be like that." Nora said with the most menacingly friendly grin I've ever seen. "Tell us about it! What's it like? Is there anything cool there? Is the food any good?"

"Uhh… It's… an ok place to live, I guess?"

"Yea?"

"… yes. You know what, I'm tired and want to get some sleep."

"Aw, why? It's only, like, five."

"Because I've had a _long_ day and I'm not in the mood to answer questions. It's been fun, but I gotta go."

I wormed my way past everyone and stumbled over to my, currently less effective, door. I took a look at the latch and began to finagle with it. I wanted to be able to sleep with my door closed and have some degree of privacy.

"… Oh hey, actually, this could help you Six." Ruby said

"How so?" I say, disassembling the latch to see how extensive the damage was.

"Nora and Ren are from Mistral, maybe they could help you find your way back."

'… RUBY NO-'

"Find his way home?" Nora asked

"Yea, apparently wherever Six's home is it's hidden so well He doesn't know how to get to it."

Ren and Nora shared a look of confusion.

"Yea." I said in annoyance "They never taught me how to read a map."

I stepped away from the door and walked back down the hallway. I wormed my way back through the group and around the corner. I stumbled a bit and continued towards the Dorm's exit.

"Hey, where're you going now?" Ruby asked

"To find Jaune and Pyrrha." I snapped back in frustration.

I was frustrated because the door knob had been completely mangled when Yang punched it. It was bad enough that I'd need all kinds of different scrap to fix it. So rather than that, I was just going to go steal one from somewhere else.

Ruby didn't see it that way though, she physically recoiled like I just tried to bite at her.

"Are… are you mad Six?"

'… Y'know what, screw it, I'm done with today.'

"Maybe I am. But, hey, if we're going to be airing _all_ my dirty laundry we might as well make sure _everyone_ hears it."

I let those words hang as I walked out of the dorm. I just wanted to sleep.

…

 _My Dearest Winter,_

 _How have you been? It's been quite some time since our last correspondence. I hope that you've been well. I have been keeping up with my studies and have been doing well. Things have been quiet here at Beacon._

"AH! Yang that's cheating!"

"…" _Though times have been… trying, I've adapted well. Though my teammates can be a bit odd-_

"Ha! Too slow Ruby!"

"No fair! I want a rematch!"

"…" _–perhaps more than a bit odd. Though a part of me is hoping that with time They might… mellow. The most troubling member of my team is also, unfortunately, our leader. Though my other teammates are quirky, to say the least, Our leader is perhaps the most troublesome. She is brash, hyperactive, and has the attention span of a gnat. She can also be incredibly immature and she-_

"Hey, no fair!"

"Not so funny is it Yan-"

"RRRAAA!"

"Uh oh-"

Yang's hair erupted into a wreath of flames as she pounced her sister. The two were engulfed in a dust cloud as their violent struggle rolled around the room. Only narrowly avoiding to disturb the shaky balance that allowed their Bunk bed's tenuous existence. Blake remained motionless on her bed, continuing to decipher the rather coarse language that filled the book the Courier had lent her.

"Do you two mind?" Weiss fumed "I'm trying to concentrate."

"Heh." Ruby said, still engaged in her struggle "Sorry Wei- OW! Yang quit it!"

For the Members of team RWBY and JNPR, the week had flown by. There was no major incident since the Courier's little dust up with the members of team CRDL. Though the members of JNPR did take note that their leader had become awfully chummy with CRDL's leader. He was almost spending more time with CRDL than on his own studies. A fact that did not sit well with his teammates.

But that was an issue to be handled later.

For the rest of team RWBY, things had been oddly calm. Since their conversation in the hall a few days prior, the courier had become scarce. He was still in class and attended training, but the already minimal time he'd spent with his team had shrunk to nigh non-existence. After the required time was spent, he'd vanish into the ether until he was needed again. For the most part, his teammates did not mind this.

For the most part.

Weiss sighed and returned to her letter.

 _-she is unable to maintain focus, is loud, obnoxious, childish, messy, and an entire list of other traits I won't go into in this letter. However, she has been trying to make strides and mature. She apparently recognizes the responsibility that's on her shoulders and-_

"Yang no-"

*splash*

Weiss was interrupted from her writing once more as a wave of cold liquid collided with the back of her head. The smell was immediately unmistakable and the feeling was sticky. Weiss had just had the remains of Ruby's coffee thrown at her. The cooled liquid splashed messily across the back of her head and dress. It also reached beyond her and pooled onto her letter.

"… he he, whoops." Yang said in embarrassment "Sorry Weiss-"

"Will you two grow up already!" Weiss shouted angrily, coffee dripping from her hair "Some of us are trying to actually do something important."

"S-sorry Weiss" Yang said quickly, dropping her quarrel and her hair losing its flare

"Hmph, sorry doesn't replace the two thousand lien dress you just ruined."

"T-two thousand lien!?" Ruby squeaked

"Yes, Two thousand Lien. Custom made by the finest Atlesian tailor, Carmine de Violet, and made with silk imported from southern Mistral. The stitch work alone makes that ratty cape of yours look like a throw rug."

Ruby whined a little and clasped her cape. Not happy to have her cape insulted.

"Hey, lay off." Yang cut in "It was an accident."

"An accident that is going to cost two thousand lien to fix."

"Well… it's not like you can't afford it."

"If _that_ is your justification for ruining my dress, then _you_ can pay for it."

"What? Why?"

"Well, if it's only a matter of money then it shouldn't be such an issue right?"

"Wha- I don't have that kind of money just sitting around!"

"And you think I do?"

"Umm… yea?"

Weiss pinched her nose and sighed in aggravation. She trudged over to her wardrobe and took another dress from it. She was going to change out of her now ruined clothes.

"If that's how you apologize then it's no wonder the Courier has been avoiding us."

"Excuse me?" Yang asked in surprise

"You heard me." Weiss sneered, walking through the door to their room and closing it behind her.

…

It hadn't taken long for Weiss to change out of her dress. Or wash the sticky residue that was once Ruby's Coffee from her skin. But she did not return to her room. She was genuinely upset with her teammates. Of course she had the money to replace the dress, that wasn't the issue.

It was that her father had to replace it.

She had a charge card given to her to pay for random expenses that might come up. Expenses that her father would regularly review and judge her for. She had to _literally_ fight tooth and nail to get him to agree to her attendance at Beacon. She knew that even the slightest reason might be enough for him to change his mind. Maybe he wouldn't make much of an issue over having to get her a new dress. But Weiss knew he would. He always looked for opportunities like this. Chances to wrestle even a miniscule amount of control away from her.

Infuriated by her own situation. Weiss walked the grounds of the academy. She'd familiarized herself with many of its pathways over the course of the semester. Though there were many places that she hadn't seen yet. She decided now may be the time to remedy that.

The grounds were filled with flowers and bushes like she'd never seen. Atlas's colder clime had made it hard for many plants to thrive. Though there was a greenhouse on her family's grounds, even it didn't have _every_ flower. The ones that littered the school's grounds astounded her. Flowers of every shade were in bloom, bushes of every variety lined the path ways, and trees of numerous species dotted the grounds like silent guardians. The grounds were beautiful, and with the coming summer they would only bloom brighter.

She wished Winter could see it…

Winter was the only person she could rely on, aside from the family butler perhaps. When she was home, she'd stood beside her when things started going downhill. When her mom started drinking and her brother started being… her brother. Winter was always there. Always trying to act cold and reserved, then secretly telling jokes about their dad, or letting her stay in her room when she had nightmares.

Then she joined the Military. Like that, Weiss was all alone.

Going to Beacon was the only way she'd even have a chance to get away from her father. Even if only for a little while. Maybe restore some integrity to the family name, given the chance. Now, because of some spilt coffee she was going to be forced into talking with him. She knew he was going to try and use it as an excuse to pull her out of the academy. Even if it was a small reason, she knew he would try.

Weiss's walk came to an end in a small area she'd never seen before. A little garden with a small fountain in the center, surrounded by trees and flowers on all sides. No other paths leading to it except the way she'd come. Just a lonely little garden on the school grounds. It was beautiful, she was amazed she'd never found it before. Though her amazement did little to overshadow the growing pit in her stomach. She looked in the fountain, and saw her reflection stare back at her in the water. A cruel reminder she was alone right now.

"… Mirror tell me something." Weiss sang softly "Tell me who's the loneliest of all…"

Weiss let the wind rustling the leaves be her reply. The trickling of water in an otherwise empty garden was her only accompaniment.

"Mirror, Mirror. Tell me what's behind you." She continued, singing like she'd practiced dozens of times "-Save me from the things I see. I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me?"

The wind picked up a little and the leaves sang with her. Her own choir of chlorophyll and green.

"Mirror, Mirror, tell me something. Who's the loneliest of all? … I'm the Loneliest… of~ all~"

Weiss's voice carried on the wind as her choir came to a slow halt. She still didn't feel any better now. She was alone with her own problems and wasn't sure what to do. She felt she could hold them off, if she just waited. But she couldn't stay in this little garden forever. She was going to have to tell her father eventually. What happened after that was out of her hands and it infuriated her to no end.

With a sigh, Weiss turned to leave. Her eyes scanned the plants that surrounded her as she went. Taking in the odd plants that surrounded her. It was then that she noticed something particularly odd about one of them. Perhaps not so much odd as familiar, actually. The bush, perhaps a young tree rather, reminded her of the plum trees her family kept in their greenhouse. There were even flowers blooming on it. But the flowers weren't quite right. They were too large, almost too wild to have been part of any plant she was familiar with. They were white as snow at the edges, with the faintest hint of pink towards their core. They had pronounced stamens and large, untamed petals. It truly was not a plant she was familiar with.

"What are you?" Weiss asked

"… I believe that's called a tree Snowflake." A new voice spoke up

Weiss nearly leapt out of her skin as she scanned the surrounding garden. It wasn't until she looked down and focused that she realized she _wasn't_ alone. No more than half a dozen feet away, the courier lay in the shade of a large tree. His back to its base and legs splayed out before him.

"Gotta say, you got a nice set of pipes on you too." The courier added

…

I hadn't expected to see snowflake here. Hadn't expected her to suddenly burst into song either. She had a nice voice though, wouldn't mind hearing _that_ at the Tops.

Weiss's face went a little red, such as it is wont to do when you do something embarrassing.

"W-when did you get here!?" She squeaked uncharacteristically

"I've been here the entire time." I say, craning a kink out of my neck "I was actually planning to take a nap until you should up."

"Then how did I not notice you?"

"You weren't really looking."

'that, and I was in stealth.'

For the past week, I'd been tasked with helping Prof. Peach without much free time to myself. I'd managed to come up with an excuse to sneak away and take a nap before my next class. Then snowflake showed up and now we're here.

"Then why didn't you say anything sooner?" Weiss asked trying to regain her normal, whiney composure.

"'Cuz I was hoping you'd leave and let me relax in peace. Then you didn't."

Weiss glared at me, a small blush of embarrassment still lingering on her cheeks.

"… so, are you just going to stand there?"

"I can stand if I want."

"Suit yourself, it's comfy over here in the shade though."

Weiss rolled her eyes and turned back to the tree, intent on ignoring me in favor of the surrounding foliage. Odds are though, she didn't know what any of these plants were. I doubt any of the people here would. One of her hands reached out any gently touched one of the blossoms on the tree.

"Hey, hands off." I say "Don't you go messing with that."

"I'm not doing anything." Weiss answered in annoyance

"Yea, well neither is the tree, but I'd rather people didn't go ripping the buds off before they had a chance to make fruit."

"I'm not ripping the flower off, I'm just getting a better look."

"mhmm."

"… What type of fruit would this make anyway?"

"Mutfruit."

Weiss turned back and looked at me. "A what?"

"A Mutfruit." I explained "It's something of a specialty where I'm from."

"I've… never heard of that."

"Like I said, local specialty."

"Ok, what about this then?"

Weiss motioned towards another tree a short distance away, infantile pods sprouting from its branches.

"Honey Mesquite tree. You could ask me the names of most of the wild life planted in this garden and I'd be able to tell you."

"What about this then?" She asked, now taking note of a spindly plant with orange blossoms.

"Broc flower, good for your health if you know how to use it."

She cupped the odd little flower in her fingers and looked at it curiously, Enticed perhaps.

" _Those_ I don't mind if you pluck. They grow back so fast they run the risk of choking themselves out if I don't."

She rolled her eyes and plucked the flower. She sniffed it and looked surprised. "Is this a local 'specialty' too?"

"Not so much a specialty as a weed. Them and Xander root grow so much they could practically destabilize the ecosystem."

I pushed off from the tree and rose. My nap was ruined, again, and now I wasn't going to finish it. Might as well chat with Snowflake since she wasn't making any move to leave.

"Is this what you've been doing the past week?" Weiss asked "Planting weeds?"

"What? No, I've been doing this since the second week."

"Then how have none of us noticed it?"

"It's in the back corner of the school where no one, except maybe the janitor, would go."

After nearly emptying my supplies the first week, I made the tact decision to start a garden some place no one would notice. I figured having the stuff to make medicine would be useful, assuming any of the plants took. Which most of them did, surprisingly. Guess evolving in a wasteland makes you pretty hardy. If anyone asked, I could tell them they were a 'local' thing and they'd buy it. Gotta love technicalities.

"… though I guess what I _have_ been doing the past week wouldn't be too far off either." I finish.

"Whatever." Weiss sighed, turning to look at the fountain again. "If you don't mind though, I'd just like to be alone right now."

"Normally, I wouldn't. Unfortunately, you basically just kicked in my door and started singing about being the loneliest little snowflake on the planet-"

"-I didn-…"

"Yea, you did. So what's wrong?"

"… I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, that's not going to help."

"And you can?" Weiss scoffed

'Probably, yea'

"Maybe? But if nothing else I can at least listen."

"… Our leader is a child."

"Are you still on about that?"

"No, but it's part of the problem."

"ok, then what's the rest?"

"The rest, I'd rather not get into right now. Not unless you have a magic beam that can make a few thousand lien appear out of thin air."

"I'm… about ninety nine percent sure that's not a thing."

"Of course it's not." Weiss snipped

"Fine, geez. So what'd Ruby do this time?"

"She's loud, she's childish, she's annoying, she's-"

"Yea, I got that, But what did she do _this_ time?"

"… She threw coffee at me."

"ok, and?"

"…That's it."

"… You're joking right? You're mad at Ruby because she threw some bean juice at you?"

"Well, maybe not Ruby. It might have been Yang. But the point is, the two of them threw coffee at me and ruined my dress."

I quickly looked over the white clad maiden. "You look fine to me."

"That's because I changed you idiot!"

"Ok, ok, calm down!"

"I am!"

"No you're not! You're yelling at me!"

Weiss seethed for a moment, glaring at me. Then she took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. I let the tense silence hang for a moment, so we could talk without getting frustrated.

"Is this really about Ruby?" I asked at last "Because while you might get annoyed with Ruby, I wouldn't peg it for something this childish."

"Childish!?"

"Yes, it's a _dress_ and you're acting like she just stabbed you in the back."

Weiss continued to glare at me.

"… Look, was this intentional or was it an accident?"

"It was… an accident." Weiss huffed at last

"Then why are you so upset?"

"Because it's now going to cause me all kinds of problems that I don't feel comfortable explaining to _you_ , a stranger."

"That's fine, I'm not asking you to. I'm just trying to get a handle on why you think you're alone."

"Because I am!"

"Not from where I'm standing. Last I checked, you've got a team full of people who have your back. You're pretty far from alone."

Weiss went silent again and stared at the fountain. Clearly still frustrated.

"… Snowflake, I'm not going to claim to know what's got you riled the way you are." I say "But let me ask you something: do you trust any of us?"

"… What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly that. Do you trust any of us? I know you weren't happy with the team assignments and our less than stellar grades. But do you not trust us?"

"This isn't about trust."

"But it is, because you don't want to trust me with what's really bothering you."

Weiss continued to stare at the pool.

"Snowflake" I sigh "What happened with Ruby was no doubt an accident. If there's one thing I'm sure of, that girl ain't one to turn on her friends."

"I know." She answered at last

"Maybe you don't trust me either, fine. I know I haven't done a lot to inspire confidence. So I'm not going to expect you to suddenly start spilling your guts to me."

She stayed silent.

"I know what that's like too, not knowing what you can trust. _Who_ you can trust. You don't want to make a mistake and have that person turn around and stab you. I know how it felt when President Kimball said-"

I stopped myself short and looked at Weiss for a reaction. She just stared placidly into the water. Maybe she was ignoring me, I guess I had to hope she was now.

"Trust… is hard, and it's scary. Maybe you can't tell me what's wrong. Just don't get thinking you're alone, ok?"

I stood in silence for a moment before checking my pip-boy. The clock read it was just past three, class was going to start soon. I reached into my pocket and pulled out some aureus. I still wasn't quite sure what the exchange rate was but two ounces of gold had to be worth _something._

I put the coins on the fountain and got walking. "Just a penny for your thoughts."

…

The white clad huntress looked down at the coins her lecturer had left on the fountain. The afternoon sun reflected off of the gold pieces warmly. She picked them up and held them in her hand, shocked. She didn't know who the face that was relieved into the coins belonged to but there was no denying the coins were gold. Just about the right weight to be worth an insane amount.

"Where did you-" she started, turning to finally answer her lecturer.

But he had left.

Weiss stared for a moment at the coins. She didn't know the immediate value, but both coins would easily be worth more than a thousand lien each. Perhaps without intending to, her lecturer had just annihilated her current problem like a candle in an atlesian winter.

"… President… Kimball?"

…

My next class wasn't so much a class as a workshop. I'd mentioned it before, how we got an open period to maintain our weapons and gear. This was that time. It was a fairly large room, kind of like the concourse at McCarran. Only difference being McCarran wasn't stocked with functioning power tools. It was a fairly spacious and well lit place, chock full of materials to boot. You could probably use the place like a garage too, if the bay doors were anything to go by. Last I checked though, none of the students could drive; so it was a moot point.

The current class was a mix of teams and students from varying years. Mostly freshmen, but there appeared to be some upperclassmen as well. Most didn't seem strangers to using the various tools either. I wasn't sure what the inside of the Gun Runner's workshop looked like, but this place might not have been too far off.

I was currently standing next to a vice with a file in hand. I was busy trying to whittle down a piece of wood. I'd been at it off and on for a few weeks now, the intermittent periods had afforded much time to actually finish it. This was about the end though, I wasn't going to make a work of art out of it. All I'd needed to do was replace the Stock of my rifle. Close enough was close enough.

I wiped some of the excess dust from the piece and looked it over. There were some grooves from where the file dug into it, but it was serviceable. Just needed to stain it so it wouldn't rot away. I already had the slots and holes milled for screws and only needed to mount the mechanisms in place. Wish it hadn't taken as long as it did, but it's not like I'd needed it or was defenseless without it. I really hadn't needed any of the arsenal I'd brought with me so far, since we'd mostly just been sparring. Or watching, in my case. I wasn't in the mood to get shot in the head again anytime soon.

I rested the file on my work table and examined my handy work. Rough and a bit messy, but it'd work. I reached for a bit of rough sandpaper and started giving it a once over. Didn't want to get splinters from holding it.

"Remember students!" Port boomed from elsewhere in the shop. "A true huntsman knows the importance of proper weapons maintenance! A blade is only as good as it is when dull!"

"Hey, quit it." Jaune whined from a few tables over. "… please."

Jaune was currently occupied with Cardin and his lackeys. He'd been spending a small chunk more time with them recently. Mostly doing grunt work. Like right now, for instance, where he was playing tool and material gofer. Don't know how much his teammates noticed or appreciated it, but it wasn't my place to intervene right now. The boy needed to learn to fend for himself.

I finished sanding and dusted the wood. Relatively clean, I coated a rag in some oil that was lying about and wiped it on. The wood grain swelled as it absorbed the liquid. It was going to take a few coats, but the hard part was over. My rifle was a few hours away from being fixed, which gave me a small sense of accomplishment.

"… What do I do now?" I mumbled

My other weapons were more or less in working order, and I could go over them if I needed to. But, that didn't change that I now had some free time on my hands.

I looked around the room. I didn't recognize a lot of the people present and I wasn't going to start making nice with random people or Jaune. Mercifully though, there was at least a duo present that I could make at least some minor pleasantries with. A few tables away, Ruby was using some sort of grinder on the separated blades of her scythe, and Yang was using these dainty tools on her bracelet-ballistic fists. It was funny really, seeing someone who uses her fist as bludgeons making what looked like tiny and precise movements. Then there was Ruby, tiny Ruby holding a tool _way_ too big for her and sharpening something Lanius wouldn't even try to carry.

They were odd, but better talking to them than sitting here with my thumb up my ass.

I approached their table, not trying to hide my presence as the two girls chatted and worked on their weapons. Yang was the first to take notice of me, looking up from her tiny bracelet bits and noticing me. A playful smirk crossed her face.

"Well, look who finally turned up." She said, drawing Ruby's attention

"Yeah, uh… hey." I answered

"Hey Six" Ruby said with a smile. "What brings you over?"

"Finished my work, figured I'd see what you two were up to."

"Just sharpening Crescent Rose." Ruby answered with a smile. "Yang's tuning Ember Celica."

"Neat, I'm just waiting for the oil to set on my rifle."

"Cool, could you hold this for a sec?"

Ruby held out the massive grinder and I took hold of it. It was, unsurprisingly, heavy. Ruby switched out the half inch thick steel segment with another. She clamped it at an angle and took the grinder back from me like it weighed nothing. With the flick of a switch the machine whined to life and sparks began to fly as Abrasives met metal.

I picked up one of the already sharpened inserts and examine it. It was sharp, about the length of my forearm, and thick. Strangely, it had a chisel grind to it. With one side at a shallow angle and the other completely flat.

"Doesn't seem too convenient putting this kind of grind on a blade."

"Maybe not on a normal blade." Ruby answered, inspecting her current insert. "But my Crescent Rose is special."

"No kidding? I thought it was common to have a sniper rifle that turns into a scythe." I say with sarcasm

"Not really" She answered innocently "The only other person I can think of who uses a scythe is my uncle Qrow, and his turns into a shotgun. Also a sword"

"…"

Ruby Unfolded her weapon and set it on the bench. She took the edged plate from me and reattached it to the frame of the scythe with a pneumatic wrench. The edges of the plates meshed flawlessly into the curve of the frame and gave it an edge.

"Hmm, suppose I see what you mean." I say, looking closely at the scythe "Having one long blade would make it hard to fold without potentially cutting yourself or breaking it."

"Duh." Ruby said with a smile "That was probably the biggest problem I ran into while designing it."

"… Designing it?"

"Yea, another was figuring out how to strengthen the barrel when I'm swinging it. I was planning to use steel-"

"-but the weight threw off the balance." I finish, taking a closer look at the handle

"Yea! I had trouble finding a material that would work instead. Plastic was too soft and resin was too malleable. Most of other metals would have been too heavy so I-"

"Reinforced it with a carbon fiber inlay. Bound to the barrel and outer shell with a high yield Epoxy and fastened with rivets for structure. Clever."

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise as I continued to look at her weapon. I could just make out the Carbon fiber amidst the bits of steel and paint. Smart decision on her part actually. It wasn't as strong as steel, but proper application would definitely cut down the weight. Plus, it looked cool.

"Mind if I hold it?" I ask

This big smile started to spread across Ruby's face and she nodded.

I took a moment to eject the magazine from the Rifle portion of the scythe and cleared the chamber. I didn't figure Ruby would work on a loaded rifle, and I was right, but better safe than sorry. No one like a bullet to the head.

I gripped the handle of the scythe and lifted. It was heavy. More so than any anti-material rifle should've been. Though I could chalk that up to the extra material and blade housing.

"Bit, on the heavy side." I say, balancing the weapon "But it probably helps for the follow through. Plus-"

"-it could help compensate the recoil?" Ruby asked with a visible gleam in her eyes

"… You use the recoil to help you swing this thing too, don't you?" I asked, pretty sure the answer was-

"Totally! What's the point of all the kick if I can't use it for something?"

"That's smart, can't think of too many people who would try that. Though I don't think too many people would try mounting a fifty cal. Rifle into a scythe."

The smile on Ruby's face got even bigger. "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"The cartridge, was it the barrel? The magazine?"

"Oh! It was the noise when you fired it. Nothing rings the ears quite like an anti-material round."

By this point Ruby was practically bouncing on her feet, big dopey grin on her face and looking like she just ate a box of Sugar bombs. It was… a little strange. A quick glance at Yang showed her smirking at the two of us, enjoying whatever it was I apparently started.

"You- uh… you doing ok there Ruby?" I asked cautiously.

"Ok!?" She practically screamed "I'm awesome! Do you know how long it's been since I had someone to talk about weapons with?"

"Not really, no."

"Too long!"

"ah… well, I'm happy to oblige I suppose. Not too often I get to talk shop either."

Ruby's smile got a little bigger. If it stretched any further she might tear in two. "What about yours?"

"Mine?... Oh, you mean the rifle?"

"Yea, tell me about it. What's it's name? What's it fire? What can it do?"

I thought for a moment about how to best answer her questions. Ignoring the goofy Smirk Yang was giving me.

"It's a three-o-eight caliber rifle, ten round magazine and custom internals." I say listing off what I could think of.

"Only ten rounds?" Ruby asked

"Hey, friend of mine told me if you're a good shot you only need one. Plus there's only a handful of things that'll tank a round like that."

"True, I think most rifles I've seen fire something like that anyway."

"Mmm, plus if it were any stronger I'd run the risk of busting the stock. Wood's sturdy but it's not unbreakable."

"Wood?"

"Yea, That rifle's got a wood stock and frame."

"Ooh, vintage."

"Totally, shame I busted it during initiation."

"You did?"

"Yea, I went over a cliff, remember?"

"Oh, right. Well, what else does it do?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, what else does it do? What does it turn into, Can you do something special with it?"

"… No, why would it?"

Ruby looked at me funny. "You designed it, didn't you?"

"… No, I bought it."

'-from a raider that I paid with hot lead'

"You didn't make it?" Ruby asked in confusion

"Again, no, why? Is that a big deal?"

"Wh- Of course it's a big deal!" Ruby nearly shouted in exasperation "Making a weapon is a rite of passage for Huntsmen. You would've had to make one in… combat… school."

Ruby petered off as she put some pieces together that I didn't need to try and duplicate.

"Hey, what can I say? I jumped around a lot and missed some things. I made do and picked some things up on the way. Why do you think I was carrying a pistol and grenades during initiation?"

"I guess that makes sense." Ruby said looking a little bummed but still enthusiastic.

"It's not like I couldn't make one either. Fact of the matter is though, I've just picked up so many of them I've honestly never had a need."

'Or time and resources… hold on a sec.'

"Did you say everyone _designs_ their weapons from scratch?"

"Yea" Ruby confirmed happily "It's one of the most important parts of Combat School."

"Then that means you willingly made a scythe only a super mut- er, giant could wield?"

Ruby puffed out her cheeks. "My Crescent Rose is a _marvelous_ piece of weaponry, thank you very much."

"I never said it wasn't, I just think it's a bit odd you'd make something so much larger than you."

"It's Because of Uncle Qrow." Yang chimed in "He actually helped her build it when she wouldn't stop pestering him."

"I didn't pester him." Ruby protested

"I'd think nagging him until three in the morning counts."

"It was only the one time!"

I chuckled at the sight of the two sisters. It was nice to see the two of them get on like siblings.

"What about you Yang?" I ask

"Me?" The blonde answered

"Yea, you pester someone into helping you make your Ballistic fists?"

"Ballistic fists?" She asked in confusion

"Yeah your um-" I motioned towards the bracelets on the bench, snapping my fingers as I fumbled the words "-Things you knocked my block off with."

"Oh! You mean Ember Celica. No, I didn't, I just asked my dad and he helped me."

"Heh, nice guy."

"You don't even know." Yang said with another bright smile "He taught me how to fight too"

"So you're saying your Old man's a bit of a knockout?"

A moment passed before I realized what I'd said. Then Ruby glared at me and Yang got this huge smile. I just hated myself even more, I didn't even want to say it.

"Yeah, you could say it like that." Yang said "Though I don't know if he'd appreciate a _jab_ like that."

'Fuck, it's contagious.'

"All that aside." Ruby said "I'm surprised you're talking to us Six."

"Why's that?"

"Well, you've been avoiding everyone for the last week and Weiss said some things and-"

"Ok, I think I understand. Don't worry Ruby I'm not avoiding everyone, I've just been busy the past few days. Probably should have mentioned it."

"Oh… why?"

"Remember when I kicked the tar out of three quarters of team CRDL?"

"Oh."

"Yeah, Ozpin remembers. He stuck me with Prof. Peach for the next few weeks as punishment."

"Doing what?" Yang asked

"Botany." I answered

The two girls looked at me in confusion. "Botany?"

"Yea, turns out there's a club for that."

"There is?" Ruby asked

"Yea, no clue why though. But I've basically been stuck planting flowers and trees for the past week."

"Well… that sucks." Yang answered

"Meh, could be worse. I've got a knack for it apparently, most everything I've planted is thriving and I've got no clue why."

"Huh, that's cool."

"Mmm, would still prefer my free time though."

Ruby and Yang nodded in understanding. We fell silent again for a moment as we took a moment to digest. Didn't last too long though, Ruby made a very… _astute_ realization.

"Wait, You said you've picked up _more_ weapons than what we've seen?"

"Eh, kinda. I just sorta pick them up as I go. Never know when I might need to use a shotgun instead of a rifle or the like."

"How many do you have?" Ruby's eyes widened a little more in excitement

"On me?... About… twenty… five… plus some armor and grenades."

Once again, Ruby was bouncing around like a coked out child.

"I want to see them." She said, massive smile on her face

"… Yeah, no."

"Aww, why?"

"Element of surprise, rule number one is don't go giving away your secrets."

"Aww." Ruby pouted, her disappointment was clear.

"… Although, maybe there is something I could let you take a look at." I answer thoughtfully

"Really!?" Ruby said, excitement restored

"Yea!" I said, pretending to rival her enthusiasm as I raised my arm and showed her my pip-boy. "This thing."

Ruby deflated a little, but she still maintained the smile on her face; so I hadn't lost her.

"Ok" She answered

I was a little hesitant to go showing my Pip-boy to anyone, for obvious reasons. But All the shop talk had confirmed Ruby knew at least something about technology. If she was the 'techy' one of her family she might actually be able to help. I just needed to make sure she didn't see anything incriminating.

"What's Vault-Tec?" Ruby asked

"Duh- what?"

"Vault-Tec, it says it on the front of your- um… arm thing."

I looked down, remembering for the first time in ages that Vault-Tec had plastered their logo onto the front of the pip-boy.

'Oh Graham Dammit.'

"They're a- uh- small business in the Mojav. Specialize in making wrist mounted… scrolls?"

"That sounds… kind of inconvenient." Ruby admitted

"Eh, You work with what you got."

"I guess…"

Ruby examined the majority of the pip-boy. Much to my surprise, she _wasn't_ trying to rip my arm off to examine it. She flipped some of the switches, but I stopped her from digging too deep. All it would take is one errant button push and I'd have all my guts spilling out.

"… This is actually pretty cool." Ruby said "It's kind of like an antique scroll."

"Yep, even has a radio and a map… well, had."

"Had?"

"Yeah, after some… incidents, The radio stopped working and the map lost track of me."

"That's odd, any idea why?"

"Only partly: I don't know about my radio, but my map uses Microfilm for maps. Without one of the area it doesn't work."

"Microfilm?" Ruby asked

"Like the kind they used to play old movies on." Yang supplied

"Oh! I actually think I know a place that might have some of that."

"You do?" I asked, surprised

"Yeah, it's this cool shop in Vale. I've only been there once, but they had all kinds of vintage tech and materials. If you want, I could show you where it is after class."

"If only." I sighed angrily "Peach has me working for her until a week or two from now, I have to help plan some trip we'll be taking as a class. Something to do with tree sap and falling."

"Well… we can do it after that I guess." She continued brightly

"Sounds like a plan." I agree happily

"Aww, look at my little sis. Going on a date with a boy." Yang teased

"what!?" Ruby said, turning to face her sister. Her ears had turned red. "It's not a date!"

"Don't be like that sis, You'll hurt his feelings."

"It's not a date!"

'… screw it.'

"Ah, how could you say that Ruby?" I say in mock pain "We were going to have such a wonderful time."

Yang burst out laughing as Ruby turned to face me, flustered red as a Bighorner. She started pounding her tiny fists against me in protest. They didn't hurt, but I raised my arms in defense anyway.

"Not you too!" She shouted in dismay "Don't make this weird!"

"ok, ok,*snrk* take it ea-"

*BOP*

*KsSHZzzK*

"Good afternoon Vale! This is 109.8, the Rooster!" A voice sprang from my pip-boy "I'm your host: Roost Carnelian, with all the best tracks at the tip of a finger!"

Ruby stopped trying to hit me as we both looked in wonder at the block on my wrist. I brought it to eye level and examined the data tab. In the Radio section, all of my old stations were still grayed out. However, there were a few new ones in their place. Most looked to be a little out of range, but the current channel was coming in loud in clear.

"Hey, you fixed my radio, thanks!" I chuckled

"What? How did I-"

"Ruby, sometimes the best answer isn't to question it. Just accept it."

"Yea, like a date." Yang smirked

Ruby turned back to her sister and unleashed the wrath of tiny fists upon her. It bothered Yang as much as it did me, so I just sat there chuckling. As a song cued in on the radio .A beautiful voice came over the radio, accompanied by a soft beat and piano.

"One Life… is not a long time… when you're waiting… for a small sign…."

Ruby stopped pounding on her sister and turned to look at my pip-boy.

"Hey, turn that up!" She said excitedly "I love Casey Lee Williams!"

"… alright."

I cranked the volume of my pip-boy up a bit and listened in. I wasn't sure what to make of the song at first. But the longer it ran, the more I just wanted to stop and listen.

For a reason I couldn't shake though, my heart felt a bit heavy.

* * *

 **Sorry if this chapter felt a bit filler-ish, but you got to put something in between the plot bits. I honestly am trying to avoid having these chapters feel like filler, but it can be a bit hard to judge sometimes.**

 **"StrongRaider101": And For your curiosity I shall say "Wait and see". This is apparently a thing people are worried about, and I have a plan for it. I had to think about it a bit because it would be very easy to throw everything out of balance. I have an idea, just need to get there first.**

 **"Hitler's Moustache": *Securitrons level Vale, Ozpin Gets strung up, Ironwood retaliates, Atlas burns, Mistral is destroyed by ICBMs, The second moon gets blown to bits, Salem wins and dances on Ozpin's grave* Yea, No one wins in that situation.**

 **"Taco69": The only real chem Six used regularly was Alcohol. I've never been one to use chems in Fallout, mostly for fear of getting addicted in an absolutely terrible place, so I transferred that to Six. He isn't opposed to using them, but refuses to unless given a damn good reason.**

 **I think that about wraps things up. P** **er the usual all thoughts, comments, questions, ramblings, and terrible jokes are welcome;**

 **This Fanfic was brought to you by 109.8 The Rooster. When you hear this bird crow, you know it's got teeth.**

 **Stay classy.**

 **-Ash**


	10. Truth in the Scroll

Disclaimer: "Gold" is also property of Rooster Teeth

Things had been going great for me and Cass. It'd been a few weeks since the two of us started walking around. We got on like Brahmin Wellington and Desert salad. Or blood sausage and Honey Mesquite instamash. Or, hell, even Bighorner steak with roasted buffalo gourd and Mutfruit chutney.

Cass was just glad to finally be out of the outpost, having a bit of walking around money certainly helped. Though she wasn't happy about where it came from at first. After we finished drinking, we went back to McLafferty and collected my pay. After that we collected Boone and hit the strip. Soon as we walked in I was ushered into the lucky 38 and got to have a talk with my 'client'. A.k.a., the guy who had me delivering a poker chip. A.K.A., the self-proclaimed 'owner' of the strip. A.K.A., The douchebag formerly known as Mr. House.

He had that robot Victor, charming fellow, haul me in while my friends waited outside. First time in, the place was creepy as hell. Even if the securitrions _weren't_ staring at me with vaguely human faces on their screen, the 38 was bad on its own. The place reeked of mildew and dust, the casino's wood interior was starting to rot, and the neon had long since burned out. Considering the place was over two hundred years old, I should've been surprised it held up _that_ well. Though the penthouse was in decent shape.

So House dragged me in and, to my surprise, actually explained what was going on. Apparently the Platinum chip was some sort of advanced computer part called a "microchip". They apparently were rare even before the war but could do the work of at least a hundred mainframes in the space of… well, a poker chip. How these things didn't become more common, I have no idea. But apparently the one House had me delivering was special made for him. He didn't go into specifics at the time, but I didn't need him to. If this thing was as advanced as he said it was, I'd probably have a bit of trouble understanding. I'm not even bad with tech either, but I know when something is above my pay grade. Considering it could only be accessed by very specific machines designed for it, I couldn't unravel it at the time even if I wanted to.

The important part to all of this though, was that the job wasn't done yet. House still hadn't 'received' his package yet, and was holding me responsible in the oddest way. He was going to give me free reign over the 38, probably to keep me close to the vest and for whatever other plans he had in store. He was also going to do it with only one stipulation. That I get him the platinum chip.

The chip which was still being held onto by my would-be killer.

Naturally, I wasn't thrilled with the idea. But I couldn't say no to free room and board.

House wasn't in any rush either, probably due to the fact he himself was a computer-robot-thing. He assured me I had all the time in the world to handle Benny. He wasn't going anywhere, he was cowering in one of the Casinos, planning his next move and hoping House didn't just kick down the door.

Which was fine with me because I was… conflicted.

So, I did what any sane man in my position would do. Mooch off of House while I bummed around the Mojave.

Turned out to be a smart decision too, I got a lot done in that time. I met just about every one of my companions too. The only real exception was Arcade, but he wasn't too far off. Did a whole mess of different things too. I'd participate at the Thorn, get drunk at whatever bar would have me, and go spelunking in pre-war buildings when I felt brave enough.

Wasn't quite perfect, but it was a far sight better than where I'd started.

Then one day, out of the blue, Cass pulled me aside and asked me to help her with something. Being that we were fairly regular traveling partners, she wanted to know if I'd walk with her to her caravan. Well, what was left of it anyway. She wanted to pay respects and I wasn't against the idea. Plus, it gave me one more reason to steer clear of the Tops.

So we took a walk out around the northern end of Vegas, looking for the burnt out remains of Cass's caravan. We found it.

Just… not like we were expecting.

From the way Cass had described it, she'd thought her caravan had been torched. Like the Fiends had crawled out of their hole and shot it up with a Flamer. But Flamers don't reduce bodies to ash completely, and fiends don't destroy merchandise. They steal it. Something was wrong, and we both knew it. Things spiraled from there, before I knew it I was on a new quest and investigating ransacked caravans. While dodging Legionnaire assassins, Who _still_ wanted my head.

Probably because I just got better at taking them down.

But our investigation led to a discovery neither of us was prepared for. This wasn't about raiders, it would've been too simple if it was. As it turns out, simple was just the cover.

Turns out, Mclafferty had some 'splainin' to do. The VanGraffs too, though they were less important.

The both of us were standing over the body of one of the VanGraff's hired thugs. We knew it was them by that 'brand recognition' armor they bragged about. We only found out McLafferty was involved after I looted the corpse. It was a 'conspiracy', as Cass put it, knock out the competition and control the market. Couple other words for it than that, but it wasn't something worth arguing over.

"That Fucking Bitch!" Cass practically screamed "She Fucking killed them! She! Fucking! Killed! Them!"

With each word, Cass kicked the thug's corpse. She was hiss like a nightstalker and spitting venom like a cazador. I couldn't even blame her.

"Cass, Cass!" I say, trying to keep her from kicking the corpse 'till its head came off. "I need you to calm down!"

"Calm down!? How the Fuck am I supposed to do that!?"

"Just-"

"I know how to fucking calm down! I'm not going to!"

"Cass-"

"These _bitches_ killed my men! They fucking killed them and made it look like it was a bunch of raiders!"

"Cass…"

"They had fucking families!" She croaked, almost on the verge of tears "They had families of all things... Fuck, I knew most of them by name."

I didn't say anything that moment, there was nothing I could. But my heart was breaking for Cass. This wasn't what she had done this for. She wanted closure. She got ashes and tears.

"… no, NO, fuck this. Fuck them too." Cass hissed

Cass began storming away, not even waiting for me to join her. I knew if I didn't follow her she'd leave me behind, so I moved quickly.

"Whoa, whoa, Cass hold on-"

"No. This ends. They don't get to get away with shit like this."

"I agree with you Cass, but-"

"No buts, this ends and it only ends one way."

"Cass!"

She turned and grabbed me by the collar. I was taller than her by a small stretch, so it didn't have the effect she was hoping for. But she did it so I wouldn't back up. She got right in my face.

"These animals murdered my men and others so they could line their pockets. They did it so well the NCR thinks it was raiders. They're going to _keep_ doing it until every independent caravan is dead and no one is dumb enough to try."

I could see the rage in her eyes, the fire I'd seen at the Mojave outpost was still burning bright inside of her. She wasn't wrong either, this wasn't going to end. When it comes to power, people can't get enough. They were going to keep murdering everyone that got in there way and I wasn't naïve enough to believe otherwise.

"This ends one way, Six." Cass growled "With me, a couple bottles of Whiskey, a few boxes of shells, a crate of dynamite, and every one of them dead or strung up for the whole of Vegas to see."

I looked her in the eye still. She wasn't lying. She had death in her eyes and I'd seen the way she used that double-barrel. She was going to kill them, all of them.

There was only one thing. The fire in her eyes. It was the same as it had been at the Outpost. More fuel in self-blame than pure hatred, though there was plenty of it.

"… Cass, you can't do this."

Cass's face sank a little, then curled back up in anger. "The fuck are you gonna do? Defend them? They murdered my men!"

"No but-"

"Then shut it. I'm not taking advice from you. Not when the guy who stuck you in a grave is right across the street and you're wandering around out here like it doesn't matter. Hiding like a goddamn coward!"

I stared at her for a moment, she was right. I hated it, but she was right.

I'd spent weeks, even months now, slowly and stealthily working my way to Vegas. Moving when I thought no one was looking, covering my tracks, and keeping some sort of mask over to my face to the point it was second nature. Hell, to the point where I almost considered my mask to _be_ my face. Truth was, part of me was terrified. Not without good reason either.

I can't remember who I was before all of this went down _because_ of Benny. Maybe I'm different now than I was then, but that doesn't change one fact: He still beat me. He had me dead to rights in front of a shallow grave and put two bullets in my head. I may have crawled back out, but he still put me in there. He was dangerous, smart, and cautious enough to make sure that if there was trouble He'd be able to face it on home turf.

That terrified the shit out of me.

I couldn't go up against a guy like that. Not like I was, ill-equipped and luck like snake eyes.

So now I was wandering around, afraid to show my face because going up against Benny meant having to finally plant my stake somewhere. I faced him, I couldn't hide anymore. Whether because I'd be running from him or officially making myself known, things would have to change.

I… I didn't want that.

"… That's a low blow Cass." I say, looking at the ground

"Tough shit, stay out of my way Six. I don't want to have to watch my fire."

Cass Continued forward and I stood there, there staring at the ground. She was right, she was right and I couldn't change her mind. There was no other way to handle this. The Crimson Caravan and VanGraffs had covered their tracks and made sure no one found out. Hell, they'd gotten away with it three times _that we knew of_. They didn't make mistakes. They made corpses. But Cass was one woman, more than that she was my friend…

No, she was my companion. All the shit we'd been through, there was a distinction. Cass and Boone, they had my back in a number of tight spots, and I'd gladly take bullets for them. It had to be something more than just friends. In a way, I owed it to her to have a better solution. I did when the Crimson Caravan tried and failed to take her Caravan from her. What good was it now if I let them get away with this? But this was different. This wasn't as easy as reading a contract for loopholes. They wouldn't keep records for something like this. That would… would…

"Be so goddamn bureaucratic." I say out loud, Eyes going wide as I tug on a thread of thought. "… Holy shit, they totally would!"

I broke out into a run after Cass, she wasn't too far ahead of me by this point. But I had an idea and I needed to act, if for no other reason than to stall for time.

"Cass, hold on!"

"Not happening Six." She shouted back "I'm not going to stop until-"

"What if I can do better than dead?"

Cass didn't stop walking, but she looked at me over her shoulder as I caught up.

"I know how to beat them at their own game." I said

"Pretty hard to beat dead."

"Yea, but when your enemy is as dumb as they are, you can get creative."

"… I don't want to-"

"Just hear me out Cass, please?"

"… fine." She sighed angrily. "I'll listen, but I'm not stopping."

"Ok, you know how your contract was full of holes?"

"Mhmm." She said disinterestedly

"Well, it's not the only contract like that, The Crimson Caravan has dozens of contracts like that."

"So they suck at paperwork, so what?"

"So, that's not the only contract I got to read. I read another one regarding my potential position for acquiring schematics from the Gun Runners."

"… Bullshit, the Gun Runners would never sell their schematics."

"I never said it was legal."

"…" Cass's eyes widened a bit.

"These people, these _asshats_ are so sure they can't get caught they're making legal documents literally saying they're having outside contractors perform what amounts to corporate sabotage."

"But that doesn't help _me_." Cass answered angrily

"It _does_ though. Maybe the Gun Runners contract doesn't apply, but the principle is sound. If they have a contract for something like that, why not something for the VanGraffs, An established business partner?"

Cass stayed quiet for a moment, still pissed but considering what I was saying. "… Say there is, what then? If you get it, then what next?"

"Then… then I'll leave it to you."

"What?"

"… Cass, There needs to be justice here. You are the only survivor from all of this. Maybe I'm not taking the side you want, but if you go through with this there's only one outcome."

"Hmph, You think I'll wind up dead?"

"I think you'll wind up with a bounty on your head and being hunted by the NCR for the rest of your life."

Cass looked at me a moment, then turned away with a bitter smile.

"I want you to have Justice, Cass. Fuck the VanGraffs and The Crimson Caravan, give me a chance and I'll let you rot them from the inside."

"… and if you don't find any evidence?"

"Then…" I put my hand on her shoulder and she looks back at me, staring into the visor of my motorcycle helmet. "Then I'll buy the whisky and Shells, and we'll paint the town VanGraff red and Caravan crimson."

"… fine, you've got a week." She said in frustration "After that, you better pay up."

"Don't worry, I only need half that."

…

My eyes crept open as the afternoon sun bathed me in its orange glow. The sun had set to the point where the tree shade didn't cover me anymore. Which was fine, my nap had been nice and I needed to return to the Botany club before sun down anyway. Peach had me digging holes for trees and bushes and wanted the tools returned before she left. I got it done easy enough and was rewarded with a nice power nap. Not my first choice, but perfect for relaxing after a day of digging ditches. Provided it wasn't disturbed by white haired huntresses who sing when they're upset.

I gently pushed my head until a soft popping left my neck. Time to return my equipment and get some grub.

I stood up and took a quick walk around my private little piece of the grounds. Just wanted to make sure none of my potential ingredients were being munched on by bugs. Most of them were still a ways off from being ready, easily another few months before anything edible could be pulled from them. Though, I wasn't happy with the thought that if I was stuck here long enough to taste the literal fruits of my labor it meant I'd have been gone for several months.

But, on the flip side, I'd have free and fresh ingredients for my experiments. Not an even trade, but I'd take it.

I grabbed the shovel and rake I was lent and got walking. The grounds were in bloom, as usual. Dotted by the new shrubbery and foliage. It helped to give a bit of color and variety to the otherwise plain flora and undergrowth. It wasn't Zion by a long shot, but it was nice in its own, ordered way. At least the plants weren't trying to kill me yet.

I crossed a quad and ducked into a small shed the botany club kept their tools in. I hooked my tools onto a rack at the wall of the shed and left them. I exited the shed and began to make my way to the cafeteria. I didn't remember what was supposed to be served tonight, but I was starting to get sick of this place's 'food'. Sure, most of it was better quality than the pre-war food I found in the Mojave. But that was like comparing Brahmin wellington to a piece of rancid bloatfly. It's edible, but I don't want to eat it when there's other options. But in this instance, my other options were cans of beans or use my continually dwindling supplies to make something good. I was going to have to start testing the ingredients here to see what I could make substitutions with. But a bloatfly slider without prickly pear was just a piece of charred bug stuck between fruit.

'… I guess I could see what's there. If I don't like it, I should still have enough stuff to make something edible…'

"Hey! Keep up Dweeb!" an all too grating voice shouted.

Across the quad, Cardin walked out of a corridor with his goons in tow. Mace resting on his shoulders and looking like the cock of the walk. Behind him and his boys, Jaune fumbled unsteadily with an almost comical stack of books.

'Guess he's still playing side bitch.'

I didn't know how Jaune put up with it. Or even why he was putting up with it. Hell, if I was in his shoes I'd have mopped the floor with them and got on with my life. Instead, he was getting dragged along like a pack Brahmin. I was caught somewhere between having pity for the guy and not giving a damn. On one hand, he was a wimp who needed to grow a few more vertebrae. On the other, he was someone clearly in over their head and could use a hand. It wasn't my place to get into the mix though, not yet anyway.

Cardin and his goons continued towards the cafeteria and I suddenly didn't feel like eating there anymore. Looking back where they came from though, I noticed the rest of team JNPR was working their way down the corridor. Nora and Ren looked to be chatting, well Nora was chatting anyway, and Pyrrha… looked angry. That was a surprise, she didn't seem the type. She also seemed to be staring after Cardin's group. Maybe she knew something I didn't.

Probably, yeah.

My appetite was spoiled for cafeteria food, so I figured it was time to turn back. For some reason though, I found myself rooted as Cardin walked into the cafeteria. I didn't feel like letting him out of my sight until he'd walked through the doors and disappeared. I looked back to team JNPR, still walking towards the cafeteria. _They_ had my sympathies. They had the misfortune of being stuck with whatever was going on with Jaune and Cardin.

Pyrrha turned and took notice of me. She couldn't tell, with the distance and my mask, but we locked eyes for a moment. She was clearly upset.

'… not my place.'

I turned and headed towards the dorms. I was hungry and it was time to find something edible.

…

The sun had just about set by the time my food was done. I knew because I decided I wanted a change of scenery for dinner. I took my hotplate to the roof of the dorms and hooked it up. I wasn't too sure what I could whip up with my current stock of ingredients, but decided to try my luck with Fire ant Fricassee. Still had plenty of ant meat, even if I didn't have any cram. I substituted with the other thing I had plenty of, beans. Of course, I didn't flour either. So more beans.

It… wasn't very good. It was palatable, but if I was going to try and keep this up I was going to have to expand my shopping list beyond beans, jerky, and coffee. I'm not even a bad cook, by my estimate, but there wasn't much I could do with the three. Though the low rad count in the food didn't even register on my pip-boy. Apparently I'd succeeded in making something that wouldn't kill people in this world.

That, and the fire ant tasted good. Kind of like chicken that'd been bathed in a smoky hot sauce.

I put my skillet on the edge of the roof and lifted my mask enough to get a fork into my mouth and dug in. The tangy ant meat clashed with the sweet bean sauce, but it didn't make me want to hurl. I continued to eat as I stared toward the horizon, doing my best to avoid staring at the sun. I could just make out the silhouette of Vale in the distance. If it were the weekend, I'd probably have made a trip for 'pizza' or something. I still didn't know what it tasted like but hadn't had much drive to go find out either. My knowledge of _any_ delicacies in this world was still limited, come to think of it.

'Guess I'm slowly getting sucked in. I just want be able to enjoy a meal I'm familiar with and not get food poisoning. Guess that's too much to-'

The door opened softly behind me and I had to resist the urge to throw the skillet at whoever did it. Last time I knee jerked that bad I almost took Ruby's head off.

'so much for a quiet meal.'

I slowly slid my mask back down and looked over my shoulder. Pyrrha was standing in the doorway, she looked surprised. Guess she wasn't expecting to see me up here.

"Oh, uh, Hello again." I she said, surprised

"Evening Pyrrha."

She stepped out of the door way and let the door close. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone up here."

"Neither was I, figured I'd enjoy dinner."

She approached and got a look at the skillet resting on the ledge. "What is that?"

"Fire… bird fricassee."

"I've… never heard of that before."

"Local specialty from the Mojav."

Her face scrunched a little. "It smells… pungent."

"Eh, didn't get the recipe right. So, what brings you up here Pyrrha?"

"I was… looking to spend some time away from my team."

"That right?" I ask "I figured you all got on well enough it wasn't an issue."

"I-it's not!" Pyrrha stammered "I mean, we do, i-it's just that… things have been… well…"

"…This has to do with Jaune doesn't it?" I sighed

"What?" Pyrrha asked. I couldn't tell but I think her cheeks got a bit flush. Might've been the sun though.

"Jaune, y'know, blonde haired dork who's busy playing manservant to Cardin? _Kinda_ leads your team?"

Pyrrha blinked and the red seemed to fade a little. "… Yes, it does." She answered reluctantly

"Mmm… so?"

"So?"

"So, you gonna tell me what's bothering you?"

"I… I can't." She answered "It's not my place to say."

"Well not talking about it isn't helping."

"That does not imply that talking _will_." She huffed in frustration

"Well, have you tried it?"

"… Yes. We did, and he knows what he's doing."

"You sure about that? Because so far, I'd be under the impression he's pretty far from having a clue."

"He does" Pyrrha said "He doesn't want my help, so he clearly must know best."

"… Not wanting help and knowing best are two mutually exclusive concepts Pyrrha." I sighed

"… I know." She answered, her frustration condensing into crestfallen sadness.

"Does Jaune?"

"I could only wish." Pyrrha said with a small, sad laugh.

"… Alright-" I say, standing "So I can't ask what's wrong, and you either can't or don't want to say. So, let me try something different."

Pyrrha looked at me, now a little confused. "What do you-"

"Ah, ah, ah-" I say, silencing the flame faired huntress. "No questions, only answers. Yes or no will do just fine."

Pyrrha blinked, confused.

"Ok" I start "Are you worried about Jaune?"

Pyrrha blinked again. "…Yes."

"Good, but you can't tell me why?"

"… no." She answered, catching on.

"You're worried that he's in over his head?"

"… Yes."

"You think Cardin did something, but you're not sure?"

"Absolutely." She answered "… er, yes."

"Alright, but whatever he did, you can't tell anyone or bring it up?"

"No." She said angrily

"Which is why we're having a conversation like a couple of three year olds?"

"…heh heh" Pyrrha chuckled "… Yes."

"Alright, now this last one is a big one." I say "You have to be honest, ok?"

"Yes."

"Ok, Do you want me to figure out what's going on and help Jaune?"

"I can't ask-"

"Up- up-" I say, shushing her "You're not asking, you're being offered, right?"

"… Yes." She said, an amused smile on her face.

"Good, now as for the other question?"

"… Yes."

"Alright, glad we got somewhere, would this also make us even for that favor I owe you?"

"Yes." She answered warmly.

"Perfect, I'm glad we could have this talk."

"I am too." Pyrrha chuckled, a relieved smile skirting across her face.

"Mmm… it's a shame about Jaune though." I say, collecting my possessions "Not being able to ask for help can make things difficult."

"It can." Pyrrha agreed, a little sad.

"Hmm, don't worry though." I say, patting her on the shoulder. "I'm sure someone will help him eventually."

…

Though it wasn't a 'quest', I kept my eyes on Jaune and Cardin over the next couple days. Though it may not have been the most straightforward route to handling what was an obvious problem, I'd set myself to it now. Besides, settling outstanding debts meant they couldn't be used for something worse in the future. Though I didn't think Pyrrha Would've ever asked for something too big, assuming she ever decided to cash in to begin with.

The job was simple enough anyway. Figure out what was going on and pass the info along. Kinda like that time I helped Doc Richards at Forlorn Hope.

Except all I did then was sit on a watch tower for a few nights.

With Cardin and Jaune, things were a bit trickier. Given the nature of me and Pyrrha's conversation I couldn't just walk up to Jaune and ask what was wrong. Plus, even if I did, he'd probably lie. Talking to Cardin was also out of the question. I'd sooner slug Cardin than talk to him. So I had to play it quiet and smart, which meant keeping my distance and watching. Given that my current punishment meant I was basically stuck roaming the grounds, I had an excuse to keep my eyes open.

For about five days, I watched them. I did my damnedest to gauge the situation and figure out what was going on. It didn't amount to much, but I at least had some ideas going by then. Given that every chance Jaune could he would mock Cardin behind his back, this wasn't a consensual arrangement. Not surprising, but worth confirming.

Regardless of how Cardin was forcing him though, it was effective. Jaune didn't do anything overtly obscene, at least Cardin never made him. Most of what Cardin had him doing was minor grunt work. Small things that he and his team should've been doing. But Jaune, despite his cautious mockery, followed every request to the letter. It was also obvious that Cardin was a slave driver. The tasks didn't look hard, but Jaune was _always_ doing something.

There was one task that Jaune messed up with. It was a simple one. It was yesterday afternoon in fact. I'd just finished pruning one of the flower bushes when Jaune approached CRDL with a few cups of coffee. Judging by their reaction, he flubbed the order. I couldn't hear what Cardin said but he pulled out his scroll, at least I think it was, and waved it around in front of Jaune. Then Jaune ran and got the order right.

It didn't take a genius to figure out Cardin was blackmailing him.

He wasn't subtle about it either, hell if Pyrrha had seen it she'd probably have done something.

But, for the few days I'd put in, I'd found an objective. If Cardin had something on his scroll that was keeping Jaune on his leash, I needed to find out. It was just a matter of how to go about it. I could try breaking into their room, but I knew that was a bad idea. It brought with it a number of factors that would probably land me in even more hot water. Least of which being I'd have to do it at night, when they and everyone else are around and asleep. Given my luck, I'd wake everyone up and be stuck with Peach for the rest of the time I was here. Pickpocketing him wouldn't work either, there's always someone watching. Assaulting him and taking it would just be stupid, that'd be like begging Goodwitch to us the riding crop on me.

Today marked day five since I started, and I had nothing. The only real notable change about today was that a storm had rolled in, surprising given how overly calm the weather is in this world.

I'd been weighing my options off and on for most of the morning, there wasn't an easy way to get ahold of the thing without getting in trouble. With how close I was to finally being free of my current punishment, I didn't want to throw another one on carelessly.

"- now I know most of you are excited for the Vytal tournament." Goodwitch said, addressing the class.

She was met with cheers and applause. Guess she was right.

"Yes, yes, settle down." She said calmly "But before then, it is important that you understand the underlying themes of the tournament."

A series of holograms appeared in the air behind Goodwitch. The same ones that were displayed back when Yang and me "sparred". Key difference being, there were eight instead of two this time.

"Now, the rules are fairly simple-"

I let Goodwitch fade again as I resumed plotting. Though I didn't get very far when Ruby tapped me on the shoulder.

"Are you excited Six?"

"Uh… what for?"

"The Vytal tournament, duh." She answered

"Yeah" Yang chimed in a little further down. "It's a chance to show off and fight all kinds of people."

"Oh yeah, sounds like a great time."

'It honestly does, but it's not my major concern right now.'

"You might even be able to see some of your friends from Mistral." Ruby added cheerfully

"Yeah, right, because They're going to figure out how to travel from the Mojave to here for a fight."

"The _Mojave_?" Weiss asked

It took me a moment to register my slip up.

"Er, yeah. Mojav, Mojave, same place just… different names."

My teammates stared at me for a moment, shrugged, and went back to listening to Goodwitch.

Except for Weiss. She continued to stare at me curiously. It'd been about a week and a half since me and Snowflake had our little one sided powwow. She'd gone right back to being her usual self afterwards but she seemed to be… eyeing me now. Don't know why, but I could hazard a guess or two. Without any real evidence though, she might just be confused.

I pushed her to the back of my mind and went back to my problem at hand. There had to be a way to get ahold of Cardin's scroll without just mugging him.

"-nament focuses on mock battles, periods when the only limitation is your opponent's aura gauge and your own prowess." Goodwitch rambled

'… duh, what?'

I looked up at Goodwitch intently. She was still explaining this 'Vytal tournament' which was apparently part of the festival.

"The tournament grounds will consist of randomized biomes." Goodwitch continued "It's the participant's challenge to adapt to the situation and overcome their opponents. While it is illegal to attack your opponents after their aura has been sufficiently depleted, whatever tactics are used to get there are generally authorized." Goodwitch motioned to the surrounding stage the sparring matches were held on. "Though we do not have this current room set to replicate biomes, we may still practice under tournament guidelines. Is there anyone present who's willing to demonstrate?"

A thick arm shot up a few rows back, clad in armor and black cloth. "We'll do it." Cardin sneered

"Very well." Goodwitch responded "Please collect your equipment, is there anyone who would care to volunteer as opposition.

The room stayed quiet. Cardin didn't scare anyone as far as I knew, but his reputation for dickery preceded him. If anyone was having second thoughts, it was because they didn't want to deal with his reprisals later. Though I did notice Nora start to raise her hand before Ren pulled it back down. I could also see Yang getting a cocksure grin on her face.

"… Seeing as no one is willing to volunteer Mr. Winchester, would you please choose-"

"I'll step up." I say, rising from my seat.

CRDL looked at me, three quarters pissed and a quarter condescending. They probably remembered our little showdown in the hall, assuming the brain damage hadn't set in.

"Mr. Six." Goodwitch gave an aggravated sigh "These are by tournament rules, you would need the rest of your team to-"

"You said tournament rules only apply to not killing your opponent. Nothing to do with how many people are willing to fight in the first place."

"That may be true, but your history with team CRDL and current record in the ring make such a fight… unfair."

A small round of giggles went around the room and I could see Cardamom smirking.

'deep breaths, Six.'

"True, but how am I going to improve if I'm not given the chance? Besides, would you prefer I settle any issues with them in the hallway or in the ring? Because I've got no problem breaking a few more windows."

Goodwitch glared at me silently, either seriously considering my words or trying to discern if they were a threat. They were a bit of both honestly, if this plan fell through I was going to have to try a more violent approach.

"We're good with it" Cardin spoke up with a smirk. "It's his funeral and we can do another team once we're done with him."

'I like the enthusiasm Cardin, even with broken bones and missing teeth you'll take on another team. Impressive.'

"Besides, it'd be unfair if my entire team fought, it's five on four then."

"Four on one is hardly fair odds Mr. Six."

"Don't worry, they're more even than you think."

Goodwitch looked impassively at me, then back to CRDL. Might've been a trick of the light, but I could've sworn there was something hesitant about her.

"Very well, you may proceed to the locker room." She spoke at last

I gave one last look at my teammates, who gave me encouraging looks. Whether because they thought I was going to get my ass handed to me or they genuinely believed I'd win, I'd no clue. But I didn't need to win for any more reason than my pride, I had a plan.

But to follow through with it I was going to have to treat this as more than a sparring match. As my last match had painfully taught me, people here weren't afraid to shoot each other during practice. Though I'm still above the idea that shooting each other in the face is acceptable sparring behavior, that didn't apply to other areas. I stripped out of my uniform and back into my parkstroller clothes. My 10mm Pistol was the first thing I grabbed, putting it on my right hip. Then my cattle prod on my left. I slipped a flashbang into my shirt pocket and contemplated my boxing tape and knuckles. I chose to forego, the tape would take a bit to apply properly and the knuckles stood the chance of being a hindrance.

'I'll use you two someday, I promise.'

With my gear appropriated, I shut my locker and returned to the ring. Cardin and his boys trotted out not long after. They had some weird weapons. Trash had some stumpy looking knives with cylinders on them. Dope had a sword with some bits from a revolver mashed into them. Lake had a long stick with an axe head at the end. Cardemom had it the worst, he had a hollow headed mace. Without the structural support, the tines probably bent often.

Worse, these guys _designed_ them this way.

We all got up on the stage and readied ourselves. I checked the mag and chamber on my pistol and the energy cell in my cattle prod. I was set, and it looked like they were too.

"Now remember-" Goodwitch spoke "The combat ends when either side is incapable of continuing. If your aura drops into the red or you leave the ring for any reason, you will be eliminated. Any questions?"

"Just one." I say "Anything goes as long as we don't kill each other, right?"

"That is correct. Though I must ask you to refrain from maiming each other as well."

"tsk. Take all the fun out of it why don't you."

"Are you ready?" Goodwitch asked both sides

They hollered in agreement.

I gave a curt nod.

"Very well, you may now… Begin!"

I drew my pistol, racked the slide, and dove into VATs. Time seemed to stop as I chose my target. It'd have been easy to shoot them, child's play even. But this was a sparring match, and I was feeling creative. I raised my gun to the ceiling and emptied my clip into the lights. The storm outside helped to drown the room in darkness as Glass rained down from overhead. I only hit the ones over the ring, but it was enough. Shadows engulfed me and a surprised CRDL.

"Lights Out." I growled as menacingly as I could.

"Mister Six!" Goodwitch shouted angrily

I didn't answer, I dipped into stealth mode and disappeared.

…

Though the Courier had destroyed many of the lights that hung over the sparring ring, there were a few he'd left untouched. Most of which stretched from further back in the room. Though for his purposes, the shade afforded for him was sufficient.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked, squinting into the darkness "I can't see what he's doing."

"He shot the lights." Yang groaned "No fair, I wanted to see what he was going to do."

Similar things were echoed by the students present. None were happy to be stuck in the dark.

"Calm yourselves students." Good witch spoke in frustration "The backup lights will engage in a minute or two."

"Aw, what's the matter?" Cardin shouted "Afraid we're going to get too rough?"

The figures of team CRDL could just barely be made out, walking towards the center of the ring. The darkness keeping the entire exchange wrapped in a murky shroud.

"What is he doing?" Weiss mumbled "This isn't how a tournament match goes."

"Well he did ask if there were any other rules." Blake said, staring into the darkness. "This at least adds a challenge to it I guess."

"Yea, but I wanted to see him fight. It's no fun staring into the dark." Yang whined

"The lights will be on soon anyway" Ruby said "do you guys see anything?"

"Nope" Yang reiterated

"Nothing" Weiss added

"No" Blake lied

Unlike her teammates, Blake's true nature afforded her certain advantages that her companions would envy at that moment. While the darkness was a shroud to everyone else, to her it was little more than a Gaussian veil. Though far from clear, she could see the participants on the stage. She watched as Cardin and his team pressed slowly forward, probing in the darkness for her teammate. Their weapons were drawn and poised to strike the moment they made contact.

Her teammate, on the other hand, was crouched down and moving forward cautiously. His movements made noise so soft it was lost amongst the chatter and footsteps of his opponents. Even with her heightened vision though, there were points where the courier seemed to blend into the shadows. Disappearing entirely for brief stretches before reappearing elsewhere. He moved amongst Cardin's group entirely undetected and lingered there for a moment.

Blake could tell he was doing something, but what, she was not sure.

The last she saw of him, he'd left the group and was near the outer most edge of the ring. He hovered there for but a moment, then disappeared from view entirely.

"… Come out already you chicken!" Cardin shouted in annoyance. He paced the darkened ring like an angered predator chasing its pray.

"Calm yourself Mr. Winchester." Goodwitch said "The lights will be on momentarily and I must ask you to refrain from-"

Goodwitch was cut off as a single light sprang up from the floor near the edge of the ring. It was accompanied by the sounds of Bass, drums, bells, and a choir. Leading them all was a single voice.

"HOOOOOoooooo _oooOOOOO…_ Dream of anything! I'll make it all come true!" The voice sang "Everything you need, is all I have for you!"

Ruby recognized the song immediately, though she refrained from blurting it out in the middle of class.

"Ha!" Cardin laughed "The idiot dropped his scroll!"

"… uh, Cardin" Thrush said "He didn't have a scroll."

Cardin fell silent as he and his teammates fixated on the light that sprang from the floor. They were drawn to it by the music, though they kept a distance.

"… Russ" Cardin growled "Go take a look."

"Y-yes" Russ responded

The song carried into the Chorus as Russ carefully approached the source of the light. Once upon it, he knelt down and seized it in his hands. He rose with a small, glassy rectangle projecting light upon him and illuminating the space beyond.

"Whenever you need a friend! I'm never far behind!" The song continued

"… Cardin" Thrush said in surprise "It's your scr-"

"Look out!"

Before Thrush could react, things escalated. From the darkness sprang the courier, the lenses of his mask flaring red as he grappled Thrush. Not expecting the attack, Thrush found himself inadequate to react, dropping his daggers and the scroll as he and the Courier fought in the shade.

"Russ!" Dove shouted, drawing his weapon. It quickly collapsed into its firearm mode and shots rang out as Dove fired blindly. The darkness shrank momentarily around Dove as the muzzle flash illuminated him and his teammates. Lark aimed to join him but failed to. Before Lark even readied his weapon, a strangled and bloodcurdling scream cut through the shade. It was accompanied by the beep of the overhead monitors registering a new fact. Thrush had been eliminated.

"Don't you worry about the dark" The song continued, almost mockingly "I will light up the night with the love in my heart. I will burn like the sun and keep you safe and warm."

"Russ!" Cardin called "… alright, scrolls out guys!"

Dove and Lark pulled their scrolls out and proceeded to use them as flashlights. Their leader reached for his own, only to realize it missing. Only a moment later did he realize where it was. Though rather than retrieve it, he instead moved between his teammates. Allowing them to probe slowly through the darkness. A few tense moments passed, the only noise coming from the scroll on the floor.

"I don't seem him Cardin." Lark said "I don't have a clue where he's hiding."

"Keep looking" Cardin growled "He's here somewhere."

"When the days turn Dark!" The song continued "-And we start to fall! I will pick you up and we will fix it all!"

"Can someone turn that thing off!" Cardin hissed

"Forget the song Cardin-" Lark started

Lightning flashed through the over head windows, scattering a pale white light across the room for only a moment. For the briefest of moments, the room of clear.

The courier was standing between Cardin and Lark.

"Found you!" Cardin shouted, pushing back his surprise

Cardin swung his mace at full force, he felt it collide with someone and reeled back for another swing.

"Ow! Cardin what the he-"

Before Lark could finish, the Courier's mask lit up once more and Lark was dragged into the shadows. Screaming in pain all the way. Through it a faint, almost menacing, crackling could be heard. A moment later, Lark was eliminated.

Cardin Carefully began to back up towards Dove. His team cut in half in the span of a minute.

"You think this is funny!?" Cardin roared "As soon as the lights come back on I'm going to kick your ass!"

"Watch your language Mr. Winchester." Goodwitch spoke from outside the ring.

"You Got'em Six!" Ruby shouted from the peanut gallery.

Blake continued to watch the darkness. She kept losing and finding the courier at near random intervals. She found it both impressive and scary how… _efficient_ he was at it. Almost as though he'd practiced fighting outnumbered or in the dark.

She saw him again now, standing towards the back of the ring. His gasmask darkened as we waited silently. She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing.

"don't worry, I've got you." The song rolled on "-nothing will ever harm you. I'm close by, I'll stay here, through all things, I will be near."

"Come out!" Cardin roared

"Close your eyes. Don't you cry, love's around you, in time you'll fly!"

Through the darkness, Blake watched as the courier pulled a canister from the front of his shirt. With a nearly inaudible *click*, the courier pulled a pin from the object and threw it at Cardin and Dove's feet.

With only a moment to realize what it was, Blake closed her eyes and covered her visible ears.

"What the f-"

With a deafening burst of light and sound, the concussion grenade exploded. Blinding Dove and Cardin, while disorienting the unprepared. Which amounted to all, save for Blake and Goodwitch.

Cardin roared in pain and swung blindly. Missing the Courier completely as he flew past him and tackled Dove. With a series of punches, the flick of a cattle prod, and Dove's screams of pain, The Courier dispatched the boy. Only stopping once he was tossed from the ring.

With a click, the secondary lights finally engaged, dyeing the room with its softer lighting. The recovering students rubbed the spots from their vision as the Courier re-oriented himself with a recovering Cardin.

"With the touch of a hand, I'll turn your life to gold!" The song finished.

"… So, Cardin." The Courier asked "The lights are on, you want to keep going?"

…

To be fair, I didn't even pick that song. I just turned on whatever music was on the thing and ditched it.

Cardin stumbled a bit, trying to readjust to the world now that the grenade was wearing off. His teammates were all in a heap in front of the ring. Fastest way to deal with them was tazing them and chucking them out of the ring. They'd be fine, a few thousand volts to the base of the skull never killed anyone.

… Well, it did, just not recently.

Cardin finished rubbing his eyes and balanced on his Mace, blinking hard as the world probably came into focus. Soon as he stopped, he took notice of me and started glaring.

"You coward!" He growled "You couldn't take us in a fair fight, so you cheated."

"Coward? Cheat?" I parroted "Pardon my fren-, uh, sanusian, but fuck you Cardin."

"Mr. Six!" Goodwitch shouted "Watch your language. You're on thin ice right now."

"I'm on thin ice? These chuckleheads jump me in the bathroom while I have a concussion and _I'm_ the bad guy for fighting smart? In a match where _you_ said 'anything goes, just don't kill them'?"

"Within reason!" Goodwitch answered sternly

"How's what I did unreasonable? Turning the lights off was the closest we could've gotten to 'shifting environments'. If anything, I made it even more official."

"Let's disagree on that." Goodwitch answered with a scowl.

"Whatever, you want me out of the ring? Or do you want me to keep going?"

"… You are free to do as you wish, Courier Six. Just step out of the ring if you wish to quit."

"…"

I hesitated for a moment. My pride demanded I stay and wallop Cardin, a not impossible but effort demanding task. But my brain said just take the loss and walk, I had what I needed anyway. I didn't stand to gain anything from keeping the fight going.

"… Yea, I'll call it quits."

Goodwitch looked surprised as I started towards the edge of the ring. The students present started booing, vultures that they were. Though Nora seemed to be doing it too.

"Aw, C'mon Six!" Ruby shouted

"Yea! Kick his butt!" Yang shouted

'Sorry girls, really not feelin'-'

"What's the matter _courier?_ " Cardin shouted "Afraid to fight me when I can see you?"

I stopped at the edge of the ring. The jeers from the crowd faded as Cardin gained my undivided focus. A pang of anger shot through me.

"Excuse me?" I asked, taking a small step back from the edge

"You heard me!" Cardin sneered now "What, you don't want to fight if you can't cheat, _courier_?"

I took a sharp breath.

'… well… look who just earned some effort.'

"On second thought Goodwitch." I said turning around "I think I'll go four for four instead."

The Jeers turned around as the vultures got their meal.

Cardin stood tall, having recovered from his brush with humility. Mace in both hands, stance wide and stable, and the fire of anger in his eyes.

Pity that Humility was coming back around at the speed of sound.

"I'm gonna take your head off." Cardin growled with a nasty grin "Then I'll-"

I closed the gap in a blink and punched Cardin in the throat as hard as I could. He stumbled backwards a few feet and coughed, grabbing his throat in surprise. Whatever made these people sturdy meant I didn't crush his wind pipe. But he knew I wasn't fucking around now.

"One shot, brat." I growled "fight."

The surprise faded from Cardin's eyes as anger took hold again. He gripped his mace and took a wide swing at me. I stepped back as he regained his footing. He thrust with it and followed through with trying to grab me. I sidestepped them both before taking a small jab at the side of his head. Not enough to hurt, just to annoy. Cardin recoiled slightly, then tried to stub me with the handle of his mace. He missed again. I wasn't going to stand still.

He gripped the mace again and began sideswiping as hard as he could. I backpedaled, keeping an eye on my surroundings so I didn't trip out of the ring. Cardin dipped his mace down and tried to hit me with an upward swing. One that was telegraphed from a mile away and dodged just as easy. I flicker jabbed his shoulder, chest, and chin every time he left an opening. Ratcheting up how annoyed he was every chance I got.

The vultures were loving it.

"Hit him harder!" Yang shouted "Come on Six!"

If Cardin had one major hole in how he fought, and he had several, it was that he was slow. Every strike he threw was wide and big, like he was putting the full force of his frame behind every hit. If I was an idiot like him, maybe I'd fight that way too. But I wasn't, so I didn't.

Cardin brought the mace down in an Axe swing. This time, I stepped in close and clapped both hands against his ears. He recoiled and shook his head.

"That's it!" He roared

Cardin gripped the mace's handle and pulled a massive overhead swing. This time, when it missed, it buried itself into the ring. I was ready for it too. I stepped onto the handle of the Mace and punched Cardin in the nose with a cross.

He released his grip on the mace and backpedaled. Trying to put some distance between me and him. By the time he recovered, he realized his mistake.

"Oh how the tables have turned" I smirk, tossing his mace out of the ring. "It's quite shocking, really."

I pulled out the cattle prod and cranked it to max settings. Cardin bared his teeth and charged me. He brought an overhand punch down on me and met the air. I dipped to his side and jammed the prod into his abdomen. The effect was immediate and he howled in pain. I pulled back and he slumped slightly, but stayed on his feet.

I fixed that by kicking his leg out from under him.

He fell like a log and struggled to push himself up. I gave him another small poke with the prod and he hit the deck again. I could hear him growling as he tried to will himself up. I took a few steps back and let him.

"Aw, what's the matter Cardin, I thought we were having fun?" I asked sincerely

Cardin glared at me as he stumbled to his feet, the wind quickly returning to his sails. Though the shocks were taking their toll.

'Give him credit, he's at least dumb enough not to stay down'

"Fight me without it." Cardin half growled, half slurred

"… You know, I could." I answer, seeming to think about it

He lunged at me the moment it looked like I stopped focusing on the fight. He tried to grab me. I dropped the cattle prod and replaced it with an upper cut. It connected with Cardin's chin and his momentum reversed.

"Y'know what? I think I will."

Cardin hit the floor on his back. He rolled and got to his knees, then stumbled. Not too many people can take an uppercut to the chin and walk it off. I probably shook his brain a bit. He began to try and force himself up again, but I stopped that with a punch between the eyes. He toppled back to the floor.

For a moment he laid there, panting and groaning. Then he tried to get up again. I didn't stop him.

He was on his feet and struggling to balance. I was ready to take his teeth out. But it was at that point I decided enough was enough.

I picked my Cattle prod back up, set it to low, and tapped Cardin on the head with it. He was out like a light.

The vultures cheered as I put my weapons back and walked off stage. As I passed Goodwitch, she gave me a less than friendly look.

"If you're not happy, you could've stopped it." I told her as I passed "I'd have stopped at the word."

I returned to my team and sat on the bench. Ruby playfully punched me on the arm.

"Nice job Six." She said with a smile

"Ah, wasn't much." I say "He just got me riled."

"Hope you put up a fight like that next time we spar." Yang beamed "You've got some moves."

"Yeah, I- uh… kinda went overboard." I answered

"It _was_ a bit extreme" Blake said "Though shooting the lights was unexpected."

"I was playing it smart. If he hadn't called me Courier I'd have walked off without issue."

"Yea, what was that about?" Yang asked "You were leaving then turned around, do you not like being called-"

"No. No I don't. I may be stuck with the name, but I don't appreciate it. Honestly it never ends well when I am called by it."

"… Why?" Weiss asked "It's just a name"

"… I have my reasons." I sighed "Long standing reasons I don't want to go into."

"Well… you still did a good job Six" Ruby smiled

"Thanks, tiny" I smirked "Though If he got me mad enough, I'd probably have made sure he lived out the tale of the Burned Man personally."

"Tale of the what?"

I blinked. "… Just a tale from the Mojav, er… Mojave."

…

Goodwitch let us out not long after. The fight hadn't been long, but we'd done enough damage to the room for her to let us go. That'd been part of the plan anyway, do something a little overboard to distract from what I was doing. No one really noticed that I stole Cardin's scroll for a bit once I blew out the lights. I'd also taken the liberty of copying down everything on it and was now sifting through the data on my pip-boy. I'd finished with the club as fast as I could and went to my Garden. It was private enough that I didn't need to worry about being interrupted. Plus the storm had passed.

Most of what my Pip-boy downloaded was garbage anyway. Files it couldn't display, or text about Mace wax or some ad for jock itch cream. I deleted whatever I couldn't use. If I'd been smart I'd have deleted everything off of his scroll too, but I didn't want to push my luck. They might overlook it being on the floor, but they'd notice if it was wiped clean. Destroying it would have been a dick move, but I'd have done it as a last resort.

I deleted the last of the junk data and arrived at a small cluster of audio files. Most of them were labeled with stings of letters and what I assumed were timestamps. The only one that caught my eye immediately was labeled 'Punching Bag's Confession'.

'Bingo'

Curious, I pressed play to see what dirt Cardin had on Jaune. With a beep, the recording played back.

"Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time right now-" Jaune's voice sprang from the recording "But I'm not _that_ depressed. I could always be a farmer or something."

'… ok, seems normal so far.'

"N-no!" Pyrrha suddenly shouted, there was the sound of pushing "T-that's not why I brought you up here! Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class… and that you're still not the strongest of fighters…"

'Great pep-talk Pyrrha, what every guy wants to hear.'

"So… I want to help you!" Pyrrha finished, sounding strangely enthusiastic

"…W-what?" Jaune asked, sounding like a meek child

"We can train up here, after class when no one can bother us!" Pyrrha said excitedly

"… You… think I need help?"

'Boy, you need more help than all the NCR.'

"N-no, that not what I meant!" Pyrrha verbally backpedaled

"But… you just said it."

"… Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to beacon, that speaks volumes of what you're capable of!"

"… You're wrong." Jaune sighed "I- I don't belong here."

"That's a terrible thing to say, of course you do!"

"No I don'!" Jaune snapped "… I wasn't really accepted into Beacon."

Silence filled the air for a moment

"Wh-what do you mean?" Pyrrha asked, confused

"I mean, I didn't go to combat school! I didn't pass any tests! I didn't earn my spot at this academy! I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts and I lied."

'… oh crap.'

"What?" Pyrrha asked "But, why?"

"'Cause this is what I've always wanted to be! My father, My grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes!... I wanted to be one too… I was just never good enough."

"Then let me help you-"

"I don't _want_ help! I don't _want_ to be the damsel in distress! I _want_ to be the hero!"

"Jaune, I-"

"I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree while all of his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand!? If I can't do this on my own… then what good am I?"

A long silence followed.

"Just… leave me alone, ok?" Jaune finally said

"… if… that's what you think is best." Pyrrha said sadly.

Things went quiet for a moment longer, then another voice broke it.

"Hehe, holy shit." Cardin snickered "This is gonna be fun."

The recording cut out and I was left with the knowledge it provided. I sat for a moment, just letting it sink in.

'… damn it Jaune, the fuck were you thinking?'

I rubbed my mask, unable to reach my face. Things were making sense, again. Now I knew how Cardin was getting Jaune to play servant. I regretted not destroying the Scroll, like I thought I would. Odds were I wasn't going to get another shot any time soon. Cardin wasn't shy about having an arm up on Jaune either. He was tame now, but what would it take for him to start making Jaune do more damaging things. Would Jaune play along? If he did, things would only escalate. It wouldn't end well for Jaune, regardless of what he did.

I stared at my pip-boy, annoyed at my own failure and current impotence.

'… I can return to Pyrrha now. I've done the job, got everything she asked for… but if Jaune's still in trouble. What good is it then?'

I sighed and surveyed the garden, everything was growing in nicely now. The storm having left it no worse for wear. I briefly pondered, these plants didn't deserve to be here either. Most of them shouldn't be. This place wasn't like the Mojave, they didn't have to struggle here. Yet they were… and they were doing fine.

"… Screw it, I don't leave favors half done."

I turned and started back to the dorms. I needed a plan.

* * *

 **Here we are, another chapter in the bag. Will Jaune be free from Cardin's Tyranny? Will Six have a plan? Will Cardin's hygiene issues clear up?**

 **Honestly, I have no idea.**

 **"ILikeHotDogs": IDK either, but what's not to like about potatoes? You can boil'em, mash'em, stick'em in a stew, fry'em, or best of all: make vodka!**

 **"SilentXD7": See above for pairing, though I'll get to it eventually I think. Same for his background... maybe.**

 **"NightmareKnight1: Fights are like the condiments for that paper sandwich your teacher always talked about. They're nice to have, but I like having some meat on mine. Pickles and onions too, with a nice bit of cheddar on a ciabatta bun... where was I going with this?**

 **"Rio Skyron": He's more of a dick really, but the sentiment's the same.**

 **That'll do for now, as usual: Thoughts, Comments, Questions, Ramblings, and Terrible Jokes are welcome.**

 **This Fanfic was brought to you by Peach's Nursery. When you need plants that'l last a lifetime, reach for Peach's.**

 **Adios.**


	11. Sap in the Trees

Ok, so it took me more than half a week to get ahold of the documents, but I'm not a miracle worker. I had to spend a day or two figuring out where The van graffs kept their paperwork and learning guard shifts to slip past. Even then I had to wrangle up a stealthboy just to get in. McLafferty put up less challenge. She kept the paperwork in the Caravan's main safe. Completely unguarded and unattended for at least most of the night. The only trouble there was getting past her boy Hostetler, but that just meant having a drink or two with him. He's a light weight, so it didn't take much.

Regardless, I made good on my word. I got the documents that the two parties wanted no one else to see. A cursory glance made it clear, this had been going on longer than most would've thought and was only going to get worse.

I met up with Cass outside of the Mojave outpost. She'd told me to meet her there if I managed to collect everything.

"I'll be damned, you actually did it." She said, looking at the papers

Apparently she hadn't expected me to do it either

"I said I'd let you rot them, now's your chance." I held out the papers "These are the tools. The only thing left to do is use them."

She took the documents and eyed them. All the proof was right there in her hands, and she couldn't believe it. I watched her leaf through the paper, double checking that I wasn't lying. Part of me worried she was looking for an excuse to do things her way.

"So… what do we do now?" I asked, worried about what her answer might be.

"… We have to get these to the NCR." She said at last, almost forcing the words out.

"Ok, do you have anyone you can trust to do it?" I asked carefully, not wanting to change Cass's mind.

"I can think of someone, he's here at the outpost. He's probably one of the more competent Rangers here too."

"Jackson?"

"Jackson."

Cass and I went into the main building. Things were as dead as ever, given the border was still closed. We headed back into the office area and found Jackson reviewing some orders from further up the chain.

"I you're looking to try and sneak your caravan through, you ought to turn around." Jackson said tiredly. "Already said I'm not letting you through."

"Aw, come on Jackson." I say "How am I supposed to get my goods through with you blocking me like that?"

Jackson looked up from his papers and took note of me and Cass. He gave a friendly smile. "Well, if it isn't my favorite bug hunter. Didn't think I'd be seeing you again after you left for Vegas."

"No need to be so surprised, figured if I came around every once in a while you'd discover you'd 'lost' more supplies"

"Heh, well you'll have to keep trying then. Didn't happen today."

"Tsk, that's… fortunate. Though I suppose that means we can move onto the second reason I'm here."

Jackson looked confused. "Oh? What would that be?"

"Just some business involving an ongoing series of murders, destruction of property, corruption, and cheap beer."

That last one was from a bottle I snagged from the Van Graffs. This really dry and nasty shit Baptiste was drinking.

Jackson's confusion grew and his head looked back and forth between me and Cass. I'd probably be confused too, if I wasn't already neck deep in it. "You're joking right?"

I looked to Cass and she handed off the documents. Jackson looked at us a moment longer before turning his attention to the papers. It took him a few minutes to read through the first page, and many more to work his way through the rest. By the time he was done, he was white as a sheet.

"This… this is real?" He asked

"It is." Cass hissed "Signed by those Bitches Mclafferty and VanGraff themselves."

"I saw. It's just… it's hard to believe."

"I know it's a lot to stomach Jackson, but that's why we came to you." I told him "Of the people we know in the NCR's military, you're the only one we can trust with this."

"I… I understand." Jackson answered solemnly, undercut with a tinge of frustration. "This explains a lot of what's been happening recently… You have my word, this will get to the right people."

"I hope that it does." I agreed

"It will, you just have to promise me one thing."

"What's that?" Cass asked

"Don't go looking for retribution in this. If they start turning up as bodies then there's nothing I can do for you. It'll take time before the courts back west can go into action. But if you kill any of them, then you'll invalidate everything. Take my advice, stay out of this now."

"Understood" I answered

"That's that then." Cass agreed

"Good, now if you two will excuse me, I've got some messages to pass up the chain. If you'd see yourselves out?"

I nodded and the two of us left the outpost. As we passed the statue at the outpost's edge, Cass slowed to a stop. She starred up at the statue and a small smile crept across her face.

"Everything ok Cass?"

"… I… I don't know. Part of me is relieved I guess. That it's over…"

" …Do you still want to kill them?"

She nodded her head. "I still do. But I know it's not going to help now. Wouldn't have helped before, either."

"It's your choice Cass, I-"

"No, I know it is." She cut me off "But that's not it. Doing what we did just now, you were right. It's worse than just killing them."

She looked away from the statue and too me. A soft smile on her face.

"With all the procedures, the paperwork, the order, _everything_ back west, what we did is worse than shooting them. This'll make them rot, just like you said. Even if it takes a few years. Far as I'm concerned, it settles accounts for me and my men."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just… I feel calm now. For the first time in a long time, I feel calm and it didn't take a bottle to do it. My ma used to talk about it, a sort of tribal thing, about finding yourself a Calm Heart after a long struggle. I never understood it…"

"But you do now?"

She nodded. "… Thank you, Six."

"It was nothing." I said, rubbing the back of my helmet "Just a bit of sneaking and lockpicking."

"Maybe for you." She said "But you've got no idea what you've done for me now."

"Hmm… Maybe not yet. But maybe it's time that I fix that."

Cass's eyes narrowed as she looked at me.

"What you said a few days ago… you were right."

"What I said?... about Benny? Look, Six, I-"

I raised my hand to silence her. "It's alright. You were right, I'm afraid to face him."

Cass's eyes widened a bit at my admission.

"Benny… Shot me in the head and put me in a ditch. To say I'm not afraid to face him would be a lie. I've had to do a lot to get to this point Cass. But for the most part, none of it has mattered to anyone but me. I'm just a guy looking to either reclaim a package, get a little revenge, gain a little understanding, or some combination thereof. I've only really been in this for me. The good I did on the way was just a bonus."

"So what's the problem now?"

"The problem? The problem is that, once I confront him I'm making a stand. House is already watching, and while I'm on decent terms with the NCR, If I stand up to a honcho of the strip, I'm making myself visible. I'm taking that target on my back and making it a flag, shouting: 'Hey! Look at what I did! Who's next?'. Things would have to change, and I'd be at the center of the storm."

"…"

"I… don't remember who I was before all of this. I don't like thinking about it for a number of reasons. But if I did that, make a stand, any chance of eventually returning to it are gone. I'd be starting something and have no way of turning back."

"So you're scared." Cass answered

"… Yea."

"Look Six, I really didn't mean to put you on the spot. I was just angry-"

"I know Cass, but you were also right. I've got Benny dead to rights now and I'm waiting. I just don't know what comes next. But I can't wait anymore."

I looked towards Vegas on the horizon. The sun was setting and the lights of the strip were reaching all the way to the outpost.

"It's time, I need to handle this."

Cass nodded thoughtfully.

"… There's just one thing I want to ask."

"What's that?"

"Can you give me a hand?" I asked "I'd feel better about this knowing I've got some people-"

Cass smacked me on the back and put her arm over my shoulder. "That's all you had to say dumbass." She chuckled

I smiled a little under my helmet. "Alright, let's go find out how much an 18 karat run of bad luck will get you."

…

My Pip-boy chimed softly, signaling it was time to get up. My eyes were heavy and my limbs as responsive as limp noodles. My sleep hadn't been the best. A good night's sleep is beautiful thing, one I normally don't have a lot of trouble getting. The nights I do, it follows me the rest of the day. Either in bad luck, bad temper, or poor performance.

Sadly, this wasn't something coffee could fix either.

I knew the cause of it too. I'd spent the majority of the previous night trying to get ahold of Cardin's scroll again. Or even just come up with a plan of action. My few attempts had been foiled by some conversation Jaune and Ruby were having in the hall, and by the members of CRDL refusing to go to sleep. I called it quits sometime after midnight. By then I figured, if they were going to sleep, I didn't have the energy to deal with it. I could deal with it in the morning. Whatever Cardin might have in store, he probably wouldn't have Jaune running it in the middle of the night.

But now it was the next morning, and I had to figure out how to get ahold of the scroll. I wasn't going to let this drag out any longer than it had to. It had already taken longer than it should have. If I didn't have to tiptoe around every rule and watch myself around the professors I could've already done it and be at peace. But I still didn't know how or when to handle this. That required watching Cardin and learning his patterns. Which requires time that I don't have.

With a sigh, I rolled out of bed and got to work on making myself some breakfast. Nothing extravagant this morning, unless I could figure out how to turn beans into a wasteland omelet. After that, I got dressed in my uniform and started walking. I'd woken up ahead of schedule in fact. Today was the day of the field trip, and I had to head out early to help organize one last time.

It was just some clerical work. Make sure the jars were ready, check the maps, double check the roster of first years, that sort of thing. Grunt work that anyone could've taken care of, but I got stuck with because of judicial reasons. But as soon as this was over, I was free of my punishment.

Which only made the situation with Jaune and Cardin more frustrating. If I did something overt, my work up until now would be for nothing. I wanted my freedom back, dammit. But I had to help Jaune.

'Wish I had Arcade or Veronica here. They'd probably have an idea of how to handle this. Hell, even Boone or Raul could run interference. '

I reached the locker room and pulled on my riot armor. I was going to have to change anyway, so getting it over with now meant saving myself the effort later. Also gave me a chance to look over my weapons. Having to research the area for the trip made it clear there were going to be Grimm around. Mostly Ursa, apparently they liked the sap the trees made. Surprising given that they were supposedly nothing but creatures of darkness and hatred.

I finished strapping my armor and began looking over my tools of trade. I still had a lot of things to consider and test. My 10mm was out, after what happened during initiation I wasn't using it again unless I was facing something small, fleshy, and vaguely human. Unfortunately, the main reason I stuck with it is because I've got so much of the ammunition to burn through. I ought to take some of it and break it down in the future. But I only had so much brass anyway.

My hunting rifle was back in working order, so I could take that. If we were staying in a group this time it was likely I wouldn't have to cover everything this time. But I wasn't too sure about using it. It'd saved my skin last time, but it was meant for long range. I only killed the deathclaw because it was close enough for me to stick it with the barrel. That and I had a grenade. While it could probably punch through the armor of your average Ursa, there was a point when it stopped working. I also had a Cowboy Repeater, it held more bullets but probably was even worse off for stopping power.

I had a few shotguns with me too. Now might've been the time to use them. But I had no clue what was going to work best in this situation. I'm pretty good with a scatter gun, but that wouldn't amount to jack-all if it didn't actually hurt them. In the end, rather than debate it any further, I grabbed the Ranger Sequoia out of my locker. Would've been my first choice if .45-70 wasn't so hard to find. The gun itself had actually been a gift from Hanlon after what happened at Hoover Dam. Kind of a thanks for giving Oliver the shaft. Though he had to do it in secret.

I checked the cylinder and my ammo stores. .45-70 had always been one of the hardest to keep on hand. Even before I got stuck here, I'd only actually find it when I paid the Gun Runners. I had maybe twenty shots with me now. Researching how to make more ammo was next on my growing list of free time activities. Assuming I didn't have to do any heavy lifting, twenty should be sufficient.

I debated whether or not I should go heavier. If things got out of hand the sequoia might be enough, but I thought the same about my rifle and 10mm. Plus, this wasn't an active combat situation. Sure the danger was there but, again, I wasn't alone.

'… maybe a grenade, just to be safe.'

I rummaged through my collection of explosives for something that would work. I had a fire bomb or two, plus some flashbangs. But I wanted to save the Flashbangs for surprise attacks, and the firebombs I was saving for an event. I had a few more frags, should be four of them. I counted them over, then noticed something was off. One of them wasn't a frag, it was EMP.

'How did I mix these up?'

I stared at the grenade a moment, then a lightbulb went off in my head.

'I could use this on Cardin. It's not subtle but they wouldn't be able to link it back to me either.'

There was just one problem: I didn't know if it would work. This place had all kinds of different technology I had no clue about. There was no guarantee the EMP would actually work on the scroll… Then again, I have taken bigger risks on more important things. If it worked, I'd have taken care of my present trouble, have helped Pyrrha, and be free of punishment.

'… It's a risk worth taking. Worst Case, I waste a grenade and find out pulse tech doesn't work here.'

My bets hedged, I closed the locker and headed towards Peach's office. Time to start the madness.

…

"Stay close students." Goodwitch said, leading the group. "Last thing you want is to get lost."

We were walking down a path through the middle of the woods. The leaves of the trees were bright red and looking ready to fall. Most of them were, in fact. Though given this was the forest of the 'Forever Fall', I suppose it was more than just a name. I was currently walking in tandem with my team, carrying jars and equipment like a pack Brahmin.

"This place is so cool." Ruby whispered, looking around at the trees.

"Yes, the Forever fall is beautiful." Goodwitch continued "But, we are not here to sight see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees within this forest and I'm here to make sure none of you die in the process."

'Right, 'cuz so far you and Ozpin have been the epitome of 'Protective Guardians.''

Our group came to a halt in a small clearing, I could hear Jaune fumbling along in the back with Cardin's group. A cursory glance showed Cardin was glaring at something. Not sure who though.

Goodwitch turned to face the gathering students and produced a jar filled with red liquid.

"Each of you will be responsible for collect one jar worth of tree sap. You are free to collect more, though do bear in mind this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm. So, for your safety, do not venture far from your teammates. We will return here at four o'clock. Any questions?"

"…You know if you want syrup you can get it from the store, right?" I asked "I'm no stranger to fending for myself, but dragging us out here for the stuff seems a bit-"

"Please begin collecting." Ms. Goodwitch said, narrowing her eyes at me in annoyance.

'it's the small victories that count the most… or was it the big ones?'

The teams began to disperse with three quarters of JNPR going one way and Jaune being dragged off with CRDL. I'd have followed them right then and there, but I needed to keep up appearances. If things worked like I intended I was going to be _very_ overt if I messed up. Letting them get on like nothing was happening meant less suspicion on me.

Plus, it gave me the opportunity to try some of this sap out. Supposedly it was full of sugar, which is perfect for the _other_ things I'm doing while no one is looking. Just needed to get a taste first. I pulled out an auger I'd been lent and started tapping the tree. Didn't even get a half inch in before the stuff was flowing like a leak in the dam. I stuck a spile into the hole and hooked a jar underneath it. Only took a minute or two before it was full. Don't know if there was an equivalent to this back in the wasteland, but I doubt it would've been this quick.

'Well, time to see how it tastes.'

I dipped my pinky into the sap and lifted my mask just enough to slip it to my mouth. I cleaned the sugary sap off my finger and lowered my mask. It was… odd. A bit woody, a bit vanilla-like, but most definitely sweet.

'hmm… not bad, this'll do just fine.'

I picked the auger back up and got back to tapping holes. I needed to collect as much of this stuff as possible.

…

"Phew, glad that's over." Yang said, lazing beneath a tree.

"You make it sound hard." Blake said, colleting the last of her sap. "All we had to do was collect some tree sap"

"Speak for yourself" Weiss complained "It's all sticky and I got it all over my hands."

"But it tastes good!" Ruby said, spooning the sap from her jar with her fingers.

"Stop eating it!" Weiss said "I don't want to have to get more of it."

Ruby whined, but removed her fingers from the jar.

"So what was the point of this again?" Yang asked

"Something about testing the sugar content of the sap." Blake said, sitting down next to her partner. "Though Six also said something about it being to fending for yourself."

"So we don't really know?"

"Not really, no."

Blake pulled out the book she had borrowed from Six and picked up where she'd left off. Now having reached more than half way through. Despite the coarse and sometimes cryptic language.

"… You've been reading that book for a while now." Ruby noticed "Is it good?"

"Surprisingly" Blake said, looking up from the book. "It was hard to get into, but the more time I've spent with it the more I've come to enjoy it."

"What's it about?" Yang asked, glancing at the page. She was immediately confused "What's it written in?"

"It's written in sanusian." Blake said, surprised her teammates were taking interest "It's about a runaway boy and a slave rafting down a river."

"That's… um, interesting?" Yang offered, unsure what to make of it.

"It actually _is_." Blake said with an understanding smirk "It can be pretty funny too, I don't know how I'd never heard of it before."

"If you didn't know about it, how did you find it?" Weiss asked, now looking curiously at the book

"Six lent it to me."

"… Really?" Weiss asked incredulously " _That_ knucklehead likes to read?"

"He's actually smarter than he lets on. He did manage to learn Vytalian in an afternoon."

"… I'm sorry, what?"

Blake blinked, realizing she just said that. "Uh- yeah… he couldn't… read."

Ruby, Yang, and Weiss stared at the darker hued huntress. All three of them wide eyed and surprised.

"He couldn't read?" Ruby asked "Why didn't he say anything?"

"He didn't want to say anything. He thought it was embarrassing."

"It would have been a bit funny." Yang admitted "But he didn't know how to read at all?"

"Well, he _could_ " Blake corrected "It just wasn't Vytalian, apparently his parents taught him how to read Sanusian."

"… Why?" Weiss asked

"He didn't really explain, something about them thinking it was superior or something."

"I can get that, but he's from Mistral. Why would he be reading Sanusian instead of Animan?"

A silence fell over the group for a moment.

"I… I have no idea." Blake said, genuinely confused she hadn't noticed that.

The quartet of huntresses looked off a short distance. The courier was flitting from tree to tree, tapping them with his drill. He'd made a small collection of jars and sap and was showing no signs of slowing down.

"Does he seem… a bit strange?" Weiss asked

"Gee, the guy always wearing a gasmask, has 'mailman' for a first name, and likes to sleep with a shotgun is strange. Imagine that." Yang smirked

"Not just _that_." Weiss corrected in annoyance "I mean in general. He didn't know how to read, apparently, but more than that. He always seems to cut himself off or change the subject when it comes to him."

"Maybe he prefers his privacy?" Ruby offered

"That's one thing, but there's other stuff. He keeps mentioning people like they're common knowledge or how he doesn't remember the name of his home… Have any of _you_ heard of a 'President Kimball'?"

The girls thought for a moment, then shook their heads. The name was alien to them.

"Six has, and apparently they're important."

"Where are you going with this Weiss?" Ruby asked, concerned

"I'm just saying, I think he's hiding things from us or he might be lying."

"… Well, even if he is, then we should talk to him." Ruby said "He's still our friend, and we should at least talk to him if you're worried."

"Yeah, it's not like he's an alien." Yang added jokingly "He won't zap you with a laser gun so you won't tell anyone."

"I wouldn't recommend it." Blake said "Accusing him of things without proof would probably just make him angry."

"Well he shouldn't be lying then." Weiss said defensively "If he has nothing to hide, then he wouldn't mind a few questions."

"That doesn't sound like you want to find out what's going on." Blake said angrily, familiar with that line of reasoning.

"She's not wrong Blake." Ruby said "If he's not hiding anything then he shouldn't mind the questions. But that doesn't mean we should just start thinking he's a criminal or something."

"I'm not saying he is." Weiss defended "But if he's lying to us, I would like to know why. Wouldn't you?"

"… kind of?" Ruby said guiltily

"Exactly. I won't do it now, obviously, but you should ask him."

"Me!?" Ruby squeaked "You're the one who wants to know!"

"You just said you do too. Plus, as the leader, weren't you put in charge of him?" Weiss asked with a smirk.

Ruby gave Weiss a pouty glare.

"You can ask him later Ruby." Yang said "Just chill for now."

"… Ok." Ruby sighed

"Thank you." Weiss exaggerated

"… Since we're talking about it" Ruby asked "Have either of you ever heard of company called Vault-Tec?"

"Vault what?" Weiss asked

"Vault-Tec, it's the company that made that scroll he's always wearing. I got a look at it a week or so ago during maintenance."

"… I don't think I've ever heard of it." Weiss answered after a pause

"Same for me." Blake agreed "It might be an older company."

"But he said they're still operating in the Mojav- er… Mojave? Which was it again?"

"He said it's either one…" Weiss said, slowly thinking over the pieces that were gathered. "… Didn't Ren and Nora say they'd never heard of it either?"

Before Ruby could respond, the sound of shattering glass came from a short distance away.

…

'The fuck was that!?"

I rubbed the back of my head as the pain of whatever hit me subsided. It took me a second to notice something wasn't right through the glove on my hand. I wiped the back of my helmet and looked at my hand. There were bits of glass and crimson sap on my glove.

'Did… did someone throw a jar at me?'

I turned to look around. Not quite angry enough to retaliate but more trying to understand what just happened. My eyes scanned the clearing. Everyone was visible, but Cardin's team was still missing. They'd have been my first choice for who did it, but I didn't see them. The only groups present were the Remnants of JNPR and my own.

"Hey, courier." A voice whispered from a nearby tree.

I wheeled around to look the dead man in the eye, and found Trash crouched on a high limb. Just barely out of sight. He had a shit eating smirk on his face.

"Think fast." He whispered, tossing a box on the ground in front of me.

The box hit the ground and spilled its contents. At first, nothing happened. Then the angry swarm of rapier wasps rose up like a vicious little cloud. They hovered anxiously for a moment, then dove at me. Three of them stinging my neck before I realized what was happening. The stingers hurt, but nowhere near as much as the venom. It was as though someone distilled Cazador venom and spiked it with Abraxo cleaner. My veins felt like they were on fire and the thought of breathing hurt. If I'd let more than the three get me, I'd have killed myself on the spot rather than suffer it.

"AGH, SON OF A BITCH!" I shouted, bolting away from the cloud of stinging death.

My feet pounded the dirt as I ran. At the edge of my hearing, I could tell they were chasing me. Even with the searing poison in my veins, I could just barely focus my thoughts into coherency.

'Think!... Port!... Grimm! Rapier Wasp… like open space! Sweet things!'

Just enough coherent information for me to realize they weren't just following me to kill me, they wanted to lick the back of my helmet too. Wonderful. I ran as hard as I could, weaving through the trees and kicking up leaves as I attempted to lose my winged pursuers. I hooked onto a tree and made a hard turn to the left. They could easily bank it, but the harder I made it the longer I'd probably live.

'Clean! Gotta get clean!'

I hooked around another tree and ran into the backside of an Ursa. I stopped dead in my tracks as the grimm took notice of me and turned, standing on its hind legs. The beast easily towered over me by an extra seven feet.

'Dammit no!'

I rolled out of the way as the cloud of wasps collided with the Ursa. If the enraged screams were anything to go by, a few of them probably stung the thing. To add insult, I pulled out the sequoia and fired off two rounds at its legs. The gun kicked terribly and I missed the second shot, but the first one buried itself in its left knee. With a roar it fell back to all fours and began to chase me. I bounded over logs and bushes as my growing number of pursuers gave chase.

I half turned and let off a third shot. It missed, my running and rattled mind failing to focus.

'Aim properly dammit! You can't keep missing!'

They were hot on my heels as I weaved through the trees and undergrowth. I might've been able to buy time from the ursa if I climbed one, but the hornets would just swarm me. I needed to find some place to get rid of the sap on my head. But would it be enough to get rid of them? Grimm were tenacious little bastards. That's assuming I even knew where to find the water. I had a canteen with some water in it that was supposedly from Vault 13. But I doubted the Grimm would give me a chance to use it.

'Think! Think! You've got two shots, a swarm of angry bugs and a bear on your ass, and sap on your head. How do you fix this?'

I ran through the mental notes I'd made from port's class. Something had to be useful from it.

Full grown Rapier wasps have an average flight speed of sixty knots? No, that doesn't help.

Ursa can track a scent for over twenty miles? Scary and fuck no.

Rapier wasps are sensitive to changes in temperature? …Bingo, that'll work.

As I ran, I kicked up as many dry leaves and sticks as I could. Collecting and bundling them together. The collection was loose and wouldn't burn long, But I only needed it to last a short while. I slid the sequoia back into its holster and pulled out my engraved lighter. A memento from Benny I could never seem to get rid of, despite my efforts. I lit it and coaxed the flame into the dried leaves and wood. It didn't want to take, but I made it. Before long my sparks and bundle of twigs was a spindly torch.

I slid the lighter back, stopped running, and drew my sequoia again. With a turn, I swung my feeble torch. It cut through the swath of wasps and scattered them. I continued waving with my off hand as I took aim. The wasps converged as I slowed to aim at the still charging Ursa. I shot, a bullet tore into the hide of the beast. I dove away as the beast pounced, swinging the torch wildly to keep the wasps back.

The beast stopped and faced me. The wasps hovered close by, looking for a chance to dive again. One shot left, a shitty torch in one hand, and all the bad luck in the world. Had to make this one count.

The beast roared, charging me in a frenzy. I squeezed the trigger. Sparks leapt from the gun as the round sank itself into the Ursa's skull. The roar teetered off into a strangled groan and the Ursa collapsed forward. It carried forward and landed on top of me. Even through my gas mask the beast stank of burnt hair and death. Fitting, since it was dead now. With great effort, I pushed the beast off of me and squirmed out from under it.

'Told you, just aim idiot. Now you're down five bullets.'

Free from the Ursa, I stood up, torch near dead but still smoldering. The wasps hovered close by as I palmed a little water from my canteen and cleaned my helmet. As glass and sugar water rained, the wasps dove for that and I left them behind. I put as much distance between them and me as I slid new rounds into the cylinder. I took a deep breath, trying to push back the pain that was still coursing through my veins as the venom ran its course. It hurt worse than a cazador, but it wasn't anywhere near as toxic. But instead, it made me furious. I was thinking with a scary, rage fueled rationality I'd only had a handful of time in the past. A kind where I was willing to get creative, put in effort, and remain calm enough to follow through on all of it.

'Screw subtlety Cardin. This ends _now._ '

I walked back, slowly plotting out what I was going to do. First step being to find Cardin. I was only ripped from it when the screams of emasculated young men pierced the air like a siren.

"Ursa!" They shouted

It sounded like Cardin's boys.

'Like _hell_ I'm going to let Karma have its say, this is mine!'

I ran in the direction of the voices. Moving with concentration and purpose so I didn't get tripped up. The distance wasn't too far, but it took a minute or two to get there. There being a clearing just beneath a hill.

The stage was set. Jaune was squaring off against an Ursa even larger than the one that'd chased me. Cardin was sprawled out on the ground, trying to put distance between himself and the beast.

Jaune's sword was drawn and his shield was at the ready. The bear lunged. I drew, ready to send the beast to whatever awaits it after death. But I never got the chance. With hereto un-displayed prowess Jaune raised his shield, coated in a black aura, and deflected the Ursa's claws. He used the momentum as his own, with a single clean sweep he severed the head of the Ursa. Panting, Jaune hit the ground with the creature. Its head flying further and landing behind him.

'Damn… glad to see he _can_ pull his weight.'

Jaune took a moment to collect himself, then marched over to Cardin. Jaune Hauled the boy to his feet and pulled him in close. He said something to Cardin, but I didn't hear what. Doesn't matter either. With what I was planning it'd make what Jaune said look like pillow talk.

I waited until Jaune walked away before making myself known. I didn't want anyone else to see this conversation.

"Well, would you look at this!" I shouted, stepping from beyond the bushes "A dumb little prick who got in over his head and needed to be bailed out by someone else."

Cardin turned and looked at me, surprised at my appearance. "You!? Where did-"

"Ah, ah, ah-" I interrupted "Why don't you take a seat!"

I closed the distance and crashed my fist into Cardin's nose. He buckled and fell back to the ground clutching his nose.

In the literal span of twenty four hours this boy had gone from being a petty shit stain to a dangerous sociopath. This ended now. If Ozpin wasn't going to take measures to handle this boy, I would. This couldn't go on any longer. I wasn't waiting for his antics to actually kill someone.

"The hell is your-"

I interrupted him with a kick to the ribs and a stomp on his right knee.

"Listen to me you little fucker!" I said, kicking him in the stomach. "I have had it with your shit!"

Cardin tried to push himself away and I stomped on his left ankle. I wasn't letting him go so easy.

"The assaults, the larceny, the blackmail, the racism, everything; it all ends now!"

Cardin tried to shield himself as I took another stomp at him. All he did was hurt his arms.

"This stunt you just pulled could've gotten people _killed_. You're going to cease your bullshit right now or so help me-"

"F-fuck! Get away from me you psycho!" Cardin wheezed

I pulled out my sequoia and leveled it at his head. His eyes went wide as he stared at the gun. For added effect I turn up the lights of my mask.

"Let me level with you, you little shit." I growled, barely holding back the contempt I had for this boy. "I come from a place where people like you get away with that shit too often."

Cardin dry swallowed and looked like he was staring death in the face. Far as I was concerned, I _better_ look like the angel of death right now.

"-A goddamn wasteland, filled with raiders, murderers, rapists, and every other breed of human filth that's ever walked. Too often they get away with shit like you do. Too often good people die because someone thought it'd be 'fun'"

I cocked the hammer of the Sequoia and got my grip like iron.

"It would be too easy for me to put a bullet in you and make it look like the Ursa did it."

Cardin's eyes shrank to pinpricks as my trigger finger tensed. He froze like a statue.

"… But I'm not you."

I relaxed my finger and Cardin started shaking, some part of him realizing he wasn't dead yet.

"This is your last chance." I put the sequoia back in its holster "I want you and your boys to straighten the _fuck_ out or I will finish what that Ursa started. You've come to a place where people are training to be 'heroes' and all you've been is a goddamn nuisance. You've got a choice, learn from the tale of the Burned Man or experience the tale of Legatus Lanius. Learn to be better or learn how I earned the title of Lord Death. Your choice…"

I pulled out my canteen and poured its contents onto Cardin's crotch. A large wet mark formed and, if the small crackle was any indicator, I fried his scroll.

"Choose."

I left Cardin looking like he pissed himself and went back to my sap. I was now done with today.

…

From their corner of the Glen, Ruby and Weiss watched as the Courier stalked away from a now Traumatized Cardin. They'd seen what had happened with Jaune. Pyrrha had left before Six had made himself known. They'd been about to leave as well, when the Courier made his entrance.

They watched the entire thing, heard everything the courier had said. Watched him pull a gun on Cardin and threaten to shoot him.

Ruby had been about to leap in, only for the Courier to holster his gun and walk away. The two of them were now just standing there. Too stunned to move and too confused to formulate a course of action.

"… so." Weiss said, slowly getting her color back "Can I say I was right yet?"

…

With a sigh, I rested myself against a wall in the dorms. I really wanted a drink. There were so many things I was going to need to unpack, but this needed to come first. In order of importance, doing this was damn near the top. If I didn't do this now, odds were I wasn't going to. For the sake of everyone involved, I needed to. I needed to stay honest after all the shit today brought. I took a deep breath and waited by the door to the roof. I'd seen Jaune and Pyrrha head up there a few minutes ago, probably to sort out their personal issues. I wasn't going to interrupt that, so I waited.

It took about a half hour before the door opened and Pyrrha walked out. She turned and was surprised to see me, though she at least didn't leap out of her skin.

"Hello again." She said with a smile

"Evening Pyrrha. Got a moment to talk?"

"Hmm… I do, though I should be quick. Ren's making dinner and me and Jaune are running late."

"It won't take more than a minute or two, promise."

"Alright." She said with a warm smile "What's going on?"

"I just wanted to talk to you about that, uh- 'thing' you asked me to do."

"'Thing'?... Oh! You mean… Yes, thank you for-"

"Pyrrha, stop. That's not where I'm going with this."

She looked confused. "What do you mean? Cardin isn't harassing Jaune anymore-"

"Yea, but I didn't have anything to do with it."

"Oh?"

"Mmm, should've figured he had it in him. Jaune got out from his issue with Cardin on his own."

"Alright…"

"… You didn't ask me to help. In a way, I offered. But I wound up not actually doing anything to help. If anything I might have just prolonged the problem."

"I don't think you could have-"

"No, trust me, I'm sure I did somehow. But that's not the main issue."

"… Then what is?"

"… The issue, is I promised to help, and I didn't… Which is why I'm rescinding my offer."

"Rescinding your offer?"

"Yes, to do this for you in exchange for that favor."

Pyrrha blinked, then got that warm smile back on her face. "Is that what this is about? Six, I wouldn't have ever used it in the first place."

"Regardless of that though, I promised and couldn't deliver." I sighed "I want you to know I stand by what I say. That favor? It's worth a great deal of my honor. Even if you don't think you'll ever use it, I want you to keep it. Just so that if, for whatever reason, you can't trust someone to help you with something, you'll know I'm still standing in your corner."

Pyrrha looked at me warmly and smiled a little bigger. "I understand. I promise to hold onto it then."

"Good. Happy as I am to be rid of it, I'd rather have you guys know I've got your back if you need it."

"… Well, what else are friends for?" Pyrrha asked with a small chuckle

"…Heh, yeah, what else."

The door opened and Jaune exited the stairwell to the roof. He almost bumped into Pyrrha before realizing we were standing there.

"Oops, sorry Pyrrha- oh, Hi Six."

"Evening Jaune, enjoying the night air?"

"Huh? What?"

"The night, you know, since you were up on the roof?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah… night air…"

'… hmm…'

"You know-" I start "People will start talking if they hear the leader of team JNPR and the prodigy of Beacon are spending time together."

"Wh-what?" Jaun stammered "Why would they-"

"-alone, under the night sky, where no one can see them… where no one can see what they get up too…"

Pyrrha and Jaune both stared blankly at me for a moment. Then their faces went beet red as they pieced together what I was implying. Jaune rubbed the back of his head and Pyrrha looked to the floor.

"I'm referring, of course, to near dead practice of enjoying a conversation."

They both blinked. "O-oh yea" Jaune stammered "L-lotsa talking"

"Undoubtedly, what else could two young adults be doing that involves the use of tongues and lips-"

"-Dinner!" Pyrrha exclaimed suddenly "W-would you like to join us for dinner Six?"

'Oh to be young and awkward.'

"That's a generous offer Pyrrha, but I couldn't -"

"What is taking so long!?" A voice shouted from down the Hall. I looked behind me and watched as Nora poked her head from around the corner. "Are you two coming or what!? Ren refuses to start cooking until you get back!"

"Coming Nora!" Jaune shouted as we began to walk back "Seriously though Six, You're welcome to join us."

"Much obliged Jaune, but it'd be rude of me to intrude. Not much I can offer to the meal anyway."

"Is Six Joining us?" Nora asked hyperly, back flipping towards the door to their room.

"If he is-" Ren called from the door "Then he better decide so I can start mixing the batter."

"Again, I appreciate the offer guys, but I can't offer much right now."

"That's fine!" Nora said "Food's better with company anyway! Ren always makes extra."

"It's not extra" Ren said indignantly "You just eat the company's share."

"Oh yeah~." Nora said with a guilty smile.

"Unless you guys are interested in beans, jerky, or treesap I can't really-"

"You've got extra syrup!?" Nora said, appearing right in my face

'shit!'

I resisted the urge to snap back and deck her in the face. Though she might've thought it was fun.

"uh… Y-yeah, I took a couple extra jars from the forest to use for… _things_. Why? Is it important?"

"Important!? Nothing goes better with pancakes than syrup! It's like trying to eat bread without jam, or beef without potatoes!"

"Or coffee without milk." Ren added sardonically

'Traitor! Coffee is to be enjoyed black, without sweeteners or cream!... wait-'

"What's a pancake?"

The entirety of team JNPR stared at me like I'd just said the strangest string of words since Caesar first opened his mouth.

"… A pancake, Six." Jaune said, unhelpfully "You know, circle shaped bread thing, cooked in a pan… pancakes?"

"Never heard of them, nor had one."

"What!?" Nora shouted grabbing my by the shoulders.

'Gah! Too close!'

I tried to shake free, but this girl was as strong as a super mutant. If I wasn't busy trying to deal with everything else, that might've terrified me.

"We have to fix this! Ren! Start making the pancakes!"

Before I could respond further, I was dragged through the door into JNPR's room.

…

I didn't eat with them, though I did take a small plate of pancakes at the team's insistence. After kindly excusing myself, I went back to my closet and sat down on my cot. It was time to unpack all the crap I did today.

Because, boy, there was a lot of it.

I reflected on what happened with Cardin. I'd lost my temper and jammed a gun in his face. I got so mad I let slip some things I hadn't told anyone except for Ozpin. Hell, I might've blown his head off if I'd been pushed a bit harder. I'll readily admit Cardin needed to be put in his place. But I'm not so blinded by my own self-righteousness to not see I might have overstepped there. For the same reason I hadn't continued to beat Trash after he'd attacked me the first time. He's still a kid.

I unconsciously clenched my fists.

He needed to be taught a lesson. That's the first thing. That stunt he and his boys pulled today, tossing sap at me, it could've been lethal. Even without my horrible luck, the forest was full of grimm that loved the treesap. What if it had been someone else? Someone less experienced or equipped to handle it. They'd have died. They'd have been mauled to death by the Ursa or stung to shit by the wasps. Things could have gone so horribly wrong, the only reason they didn't is anyone's guess but my own. Odds are, he would've gotten of Scott-free again. He _needed_ to be called on it.

But… he didn't deserve to die. That's the second thing. He's an idiot. He's a brat. He's an asshole. But, he's also an idiot teenager. One who's probably spent his whole life having shit handed to him and isn't familiar with cause and effect. He needed a punishment of some kind, something to put him in his place. Shooting him wouldn't have been the solution. That'd be like cutting the hands off a starving orphan that stole some bread. They don't know any better, and teaching them could change them. Cardin needed to have repercussions handed to him. But he didn't need them to that point yet. There was still a chance to set him straight.

The only thing that remains, is whether or not it will actually have an impact on him. Just because I kicked the shit out of him doesn't mean he'll change. He could even come back worse for it. I had no way of knowing either.

I sighed, angry at my own stupidity for today.

'… Right or wrong, it's done now. All I can do is watch until I'm allowed to leave.'

I was starting to _really_ miss the Mojave. Things were worse there in a number of ways. But at least I didn't have to sit on my bed and contemplate if I'd over stepped on something like this.

At least, not very often. There were times, though I'd try my damnedest to make the outcome better.

I pulled my helmet off and looked at it. Wasn't too much different about it now than when I first got here. Maybe a new nick or two that wouldn't polish out. But it was still the same. Still a grim mask that helped me scare the shit out of people and protect my head.

Looking at it right now though… I felt angry with myself for what happened today, that I let any of it happen.

The only thought it made me think was, 'could I have done better?'

Right now… I didn't have an answer. Maybe if I stayed here, dwelled on it a bit longer, I'd think of a better way to have handled it. But I didn't want to right then. I'd done enough damage, needed to let it sort itself out first. If I kept pushing it'd probably get worse, knowing my luck.

I _really_ wanted a drink.

Then there was all the personal crap I told him. Maybe he wouldn't do anything with it. He's not smart enough to know what to do with it. I also doubt he'd be dumb enough to try blackmailing me after today either. But the truth was out there now. Thankfully, no one else except him seemed to hear it. But it's harder for two people to keep a secret than one. Plus that stupid title I just _had_ to drop. The full thing sounded cartoonishly evil and stupid, even if appropriate. The apocalypse didn't have _shit_ on me when I was angry.

I sighed again and set my mask on my cot. I put my face in my hands and sat there a little longer. Just trying to let the weight off for a minute.

It was right about then I noticed the sweet, warm smell of the pancakes JNPR had given me.

They were cooling down, but they were still fresh. As if to exemplify I needed to focus someplace else, my stomach reminded me I hadn't eaten since breakfast.

'… might as well see what the fuss is. Find out how new world food tastes to an Old World Gourmet.'

I picked the plate up and poured some sap from the two dozen jars I had onto them. The dark liquid sat on the pancakes for a bit before sinking in.

I took a fork and carved off a small wedge of the doughy food and scooped it into my mouth. The sap was sticky and got everywhere, but I didn't really notice it. I was too busy eating.

"… Damn, these are really fucking good."

I continued eating, putting the day behind me for now. Maybe tomorrow would be a better.

* * *

 **There she is, all in black and white.**

 **"Rio Skyron": Duly noted, I'll make sure she's the first against the wall when the revolution comes.**

 **"thepkrmgc": All those comic books had to be good for something I guess.**

 **"buzzsaw935": No, that's messy and a waste of beans.**

 **That'll do for now, as per usual: Thoughts, Comments, Questions, Ramblings, and Terrible Jokes are welcome.**

 **This Fanfic was brought to you by Nora's syrup. "Look Ren, we're on a syrup bottle!"**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	12. Red in the Rabbit

Ruby and Weiss quietly left their room and walked to the exit of the dorm. The two of them needed to have this conversation, and they didn't want to take a chance on someone else overhearing. Especially when a particular someone was right down the hall. They left the dorm and took a walk through one of the quads.

"I told you he was hiding something." Weiss said satisfactorily "I said he was, and now we know he is."

"That's not helping Weiss" Ruby said

"He _lied_ to us Ruby."

"I know, but that doesn't explain why. If we try talking to him-"

"We've been talking to him. Even if we confront him, what's to say he won't just keep lying?"

"W-well, we can't just accuse him of it either."

"Why not!? We know he's lying!"

"Yea, but we can't prove it. We have his word and… what happened with Cardin, but that doesn't mean we can just confront him. It's like Blake said, we can't just throw accusations without knowing everything. "

"… Darn it." Weiss sighed, seeing the logic "That's actually a good point… Then what should we do?"

"I… I don't know. We _need_ to talk to him, but I want to be able to trust him. He doesn't seem to be a bad guy, but after what happened I don't know."

"The only thing we could do then is wait and see what happens. It's either that or bring this to Ozpin, but he'll probably want evidence too."

"… No, you're right, we need to wait and see. Six is our friend, maybe he's a bit odd, but he seems to be a good person. If… if he turns out to be lying, and hiding something we need to know about, if we find the evidence we can confront him or go to Ozpin."

"We already know he's lying Ruby, but about what, we don't know. I'll follow your lead, for now. I can at least agree with you on that much. But what about Yang and Blake?"

Ruby remained silent for a moment. While they knew they could trust Yang and Blake, they weren't sure now was the time to talk about this with them. Yang would believe her whole heartedly, Maybe Blake would too. But things could get out of hand really fast, Yang wasn't known for subtlety. She remembered what happened three months ago, before the semester started. Yang took a trip to Vale, looking for information about something. Ruby had seen her leave, after tossing a guy out a window. If rumors were to be believed, she leveled the entire club looking for answers about something.

She didn't get any.

"… I think, this should stay between us for now." Ruby said, after a pause "If something happens, we'll tell them. But getting Yang involved would make things… uh… difficult."

"… Agreed."

…

"Fuck no." I said, getting up from my seat. "Of all the stupid ideas I'm going to have today, I'm not letting that be the last."

"Mr. Six, please watch your language." Goodwitch said "-and unless you plan to accept Ms. Xiao Long's challenge, please return to your seat."

It was mid-morning, three days since my emancipation from Peach's employ. Things had gotten quiet again, which is always a sign that something was lurking in the near future. Never a good something either, always a 'trying to make my life infinitely more stressful or difficult' something. But for now, I'd been happy just to have some free time. I got to catch up on some reading, did a little pruning to my personal garden, and even started my next batch of experiments. I also looked for that personal item I'd misplaced, which was frustrating since I still couldn't find it.

"Come on!" Yang shouted happily from the ring "It's been weeks since we sparred!"

"No, Yang, I'm good down here." I answered, sitting back down "Last thing I want is to get thrown into the wall again."

I motioned to the crater in the wall, still present from the last time me and Yang sparred.

"That was an accident." Yang said coyly "C'mon, I don't want to fight anyone else."

"That's real respectful to everyone else Yang." I motioned to the rest of the classroom.

" _C'mon~_ " Yang Whined

"Ms. Xiao Long-" Goodwitch took over "If Mr. Six doesn't wish to participate then he will not be forced to, this time, so I must ask you to pick a different sparring partner."

"Ugh, no fair."

"Fair? The last time we did this you shot and turned me into a wall ornament, how is that fair?"

"In a sparring match you are free to use any weapons at your disposal." Goodwitch explained "Though if you wish to argue 'fairness', Mr. Six, Would you like for me to remind you of your actions during your spar with team CRDL?"

"… No, I'm good."

"If that is all, then would you please choose a different opponent Ms. Xiao long?"

"But I want to fight _him_." Yang continued "Aren't we supposed to spar people who can challenge us."

"Given his first fight with you, I believe 'challenge' is the wrong word, Ms. Xiao Long."

'Fuck you too, Goodwitch.'

Truth was, despite my insistence to the contrary, I actually did want to spar with Yang again. It's just that I knew with personal experience that she hit _way_ too hard for sparring. Either because of or in addition to the ballistic fists she wore. I got off lucky last time with a concussion and _maybe_ some internal bruising. I didn't want to push my luck. Unless I was damn sure there was a better chance I'd walk away from sparring with her and not be in a wheel chair.

"Fine~" Yang sighed, grumbling "He can handle four people at once, but doesn't want to fight me."

"Oh yeah, because using guns with live ammunition for _sparring_ is a totally acceptable practice." I said under my breath

"Well Yeah" Ruby said, a seat over "How else are you supposed to do it?"

'Seriously need to test their hearing'

"… How about _not_ shooting each other, to start with."

"As you have demonstrated, Mr. Six-" Goodwitch took over again "All tactics are generally accepted, provided no permanent harm is done."

"Funny, I'd assume shooting each other counts as potentially permanent harm."

"Perhaps if your aura is weak. But I don't suppose that's a problem, correct?"

Goodwitch just gave me a blank stare. The woman knew what she was doing, either trying to goad me into acting like a fool or saying something stupid. I didn't know what an aura was, but I wasn't about to publically announce that.

"No" I said, through gritted teeth "I suppose it makes sense."

"Will someone please start fighting!?" Nora shouted

"Calm yourself Ms. Valkyrie." Goodwitch said "Unless you want to volunteer?"

"Gladly!" Nora said, leaping up from her seat and running to the locker room.

"… Guess that settles that then." I said, letting the conversation drop.

"Quite." Goodwitch agreed

…

After Nora and Yang's little exhibition, Goodwitch gave us a free period to spar. Was starting to wonder if every sparring period was just going to be one on ones like that. It'd be damn near impossible for everyone to spar consistently then. Right now, Weiss and Blake were going toe to toe in our corner of the ring. Apparently they were working on some sort of 'combination' move called Checkmate. Except it wasn't really working. They kept tripping over each other like they just learned how to walk. Ruby and Yang were going through some warm ups and I'd changed into my parkstroller outfit before doing some stretches myself.

"Watch your footwork!" Weiss snapped

"I will when you learn to not your right from your left." Blake snipped in return.

"What's that supposed to- _ach!"_

Weiss tripped over Blake's foot and rolled to the floor. I suppressed a small chuckle and wound up snickering a little bit.

Before I could continue watching their display though, I got a tap on my shoulder. A cursory glance showed Yang, still wide eyed and a confident smirk on her face.

"No, Yang." I groaned

"Aw, Come _on_." Yang intoned "I just want to spar, what's wrong with that?"

"I already told you, I don't want to wind up a crater in the wall again."

"I said I was sorry."

"… No, actually, you never did."

Yang opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. She fell into thought for a moment. "… huh, guess I never did, did I?"

"No."

"Well… sorry."

"Apology accepted."

"Great! Now let's-"

I turned away from Yang, setting myself into some P.T. and doing pushups.

"… Really?" Yang asked

"Yes" I grunted as I pushed "Really don't… Want to… hit the… wall again."

Yang walked beside me and sat cross-legged. She stared at me with a smirk, hoping she could somehow urge me into changing my mind. Like her displaying confidence that she was the better fighter would bruise my ego. Insinuating I couldn't fight her on equal terms and win. That she could goad me so easily into-

"Fine!" I snapped, flopping to the floor.

"Yes!" She shouted, springing up.

"One condition though." I said, picking myself up. "You gotta take off those gauntlets of yours."

I stood up and she looked at me strange. It was a simple enough request. "… why?"

"Because where I come from, we don't shoot each other for sparring. You want to spar? We do it on equal footing."

Yang quirked an eyebrow at me. Then she shrugged, smirking. "Ok"

The gold bracelets on her wrists slid off and she set them on the edge of the ring. I traced off a section of the ring and set it as the bounds. "Pass this line, you're out."

"Simple enough." Yang smiled, bouncing on her feet.

"You two are fighting?" Ruby asked, taking notice of our antics.

"Sparring." I corrected "Enemies fight, Friends spar… and I'll leave the rest for later."

"Whatever you say." Yang smiled "So ring out or knockout?"

"Mmm, three rounds or knockout. Keep it simple."

"Sounds good to me." Yang said, tapping her fist into an open palm "Just to warn you though, I'm a bit of a knockout."

"Sunshine, With the way you rang my bell I'd have figured you were a bombshell."

A moment passed. Then Yang started beaming a smile as I realized what I just said.

"Not like _that_." I groaned "You _are_ a bad influence."

"She _is_." Ruby agreed from the sidelines.

"I'm the _best_ influence!" Yang announced

"… C-can we just get started already?" I asked

Yang nodded and we stepped into the boxed off ring. I rolled my shoulders and psyched myself up. I knew what my first move was. It was going to be cheap, but I wanted to show I meant business. She locked eyes with my gasmask and we leaned in.

Our fists connected, I sprang back, and then dove forward. Delivering a Ranger takedown to Yang. She hadn't expected me to immediately spring back in and failed to put her guard up in time. My open palm connected with her chest and she was airborne like a ragdoll.

Weiss and Blake stopped bickering long enough to watch Yang clear the ring's edge by an extra dozen feet and hit the floor. She hit the floor and skidded a bit further, coming to a halt in JNPR's portion of the ring. They all looked down at her, then back to me.

Overcoming her shock at her impromptu flight, Yang quirked her head up and looked at me in the distance. She looked completely bewildered by the turn of events.

"… _Now_ we're even!" I announced with a smirk, stifling a laugh

The shock melted from Yang's face and was replaced by an audacious grin. She coiled back and sprang to her feet using her hands. JNPR continued staring as she trotted back to the ring.

"I won't count that one if-" I started

"No, it's good" She said, still grinning "This just means I don't have to hold back."

"aheh, right."

'I just opened a terrible can of worms, didn't I?"

Yang bounded back into the ring, still smiling. She stretched a little, then picked up a stance.

"You ready?" She asked, extending her fist

"As I'll ever be"

I tapped her fist and stepped back as she shot towards me. I bobbed out of the way as her fist snapped past my face. It recoiled and was replaced by her leg, flying in for a kick. I raised my arms into a guard and tanked the hit. Pain stung my arm as it felt like I was just smacked by Lily with a lead pipe. Yang touched down, tucked her other leg in, and kicked towards my stomach. I dipped and rolled out of the way, flanking Yang.

Her eyes snapped to me as I flicked my arm in a jab. She took the jab in full, not bothering to dodge. I followed it with a sweeping low kick to knock her off balance. She leapt over it and attempted to knee me in the chest. I sprang back and she kept the pressure on, swinging and taking as much room from me as she could.

'alright, How about this!'

I tanked the next straight she threw and countered like a scribe. My straight flew hard and fast, just grazing Yang's cheek. I pulled back into a guard right as she retaliated and tried again. This time I missed completely, She'd picked up on that one.

Yang dipped out of the way of my next jab and leapt into an uppercut. I felt my feet leave the ground as it connected, I moved just a second too slow to dodge that time. I stumbled backward, keeping myself in the ring while trying to put space between us. She followed, trying to make sure I didn't have room to breathe.

I stopped back pedaling and sprang at her again, attempting to land another Ranger takedown. She was ready, easily side stepping the takedown and jabbing me in the chest. Her arms flickered as they proceeded to hammer my chest. I tried to guard, but she wasn't having it. She broke my Guard, leapt into the air and kicked me in the sternum. I could feel the air escape my lungs as she hit. My chest ached and my lungs burned. She landed from her kick, the grin still on her face.

I leapt into a legion assault and whiffed her by a small margin. The instant it missed I pulled into a guard, narrowly blocking her knee as it rammed into my forearms. I countered again, my fist planting itself in her stomach. Before I could enjoy finally landing a hit though, she clamped down on my arm and locked it in place. She wasn't letting me back up anymore.

She Came in close and buried her knee into my stomach. It hit firm, It wasn't enough to bring me to my knees but it hurt. I tried to keep on my feet and she followed through with a series of jabs with my free arm, slamming the arm she used to trap me. She ignored me, stuck her leg out, and tripped me. Releasing my arm as I tumbled forward.

I flopped onto the floor, rolled, and came back to my feet ready to keep going. She was smirking at me, then she pointed down.

I looked and realized I'd gone out of bounds.

"I believe this one's mine." She said lightly

"Good going Yang." Ruby said with a smile

"Not bad." I nodded, dropping my stance "Don't know too many who can fight like that."

"Aw, thanks." Yang smiled

"Keep it up and you'll make silver." I said challengingly

"Hey!" Yang said, re-adopting her smirk with a fire in her eyes.

I joked, but only by half. Yang was unbelievable. If Veronica had a mean right hook, then Yang had a mean right hook, left hook, knee, kick, elbow, and everything else. Veronica had been given the bare minimum training needed for a scribe and excelled with it. Yang _clearly_ had been given above and beyond that and was even more dangerous. She wasn't even as old as Veronica yet. She was still going to improve, both a scary and awe inspiring prospect.

In the Mojave, this girl would've been a prodigy.

It suddenly made sense how she might one day win against an armored deathclaw.

"You ready to finish this?" Yang asked, stepping back to give me room in the ring.

I exhaled slowly, calming myself. I needed to focus. I walked back into the ring and took my stance across from Yang.

"Kick his butt Yang!" Ruby shouted

"Tear him apart!" Nora shouted, apparently enjoying the spectacle "Break his legs!"

'Nora, please stop.'

"Yes, Ms. Xiao Long." Ms. Goodwitch cut in "Show us what he's made of."

I glanced to my left and noticed Goodwitch was watching as well. A part of me wondered briefly if she thought this was going to happen. If she did, she was still a bitch.

"You ready?" Yang asked raising her fist for our final bout.

I exhaled slowly, calming myself. "… Yea. Let's dance."

My fist tapped hers and she dove at me. I didn't recoil, I leapt to meet her. I smacked her arm aside and sprang upward, driving a knee into her chin. I swapped into a punch as I came back down. She tanked the hits and attempted to retaliate with a kick. I back stepped and flew in with a kick of my own.

She had a power and speed advantage, courtesy of whatever made everyone that way. Her 'aura' maybe? Whatever it was, I had stamina and experience. I couldn't take her in a brute force fight without this devolving from a spar into a deathmatch. I wasn't looking for a deathmatch, I hadn't even been looking to spar. But that's where we were now, so I had to play smart.

Our legs parried off of each other and she dove at me again, flickering jabs like they were going out of style. I deflected and dodged them as they came. Keeping an eye on the ring, not letting her box me in or force me out again. I kept my footing sure, not letting her trip me up.

We circled the ring twice, by then I noticed she was slowing, perhaps to change her assault. Before she could, I snatched one of her retreating arms and pulled her to me, slamming my fist into her chest. She took the hit, but I saw she felt it. My hand snaked for her chest and clasped onto her shoulder. With a pull, I brought her in and smashed my head against her nose with a head butt.

She recoiled and I released her, staggered. I kept the pressure on, flickering Jabs right back at her. She dodged and blocked them even while dazed, But she couldn't block me sweeping her feet. I took her legs out from under her and she landed onto the ring. Before I could continue, she rolled a few feet away and sprang back to her feet, a smile on her face.

"Not bad." She said, seeming none the worse for wear.

"Not bad yourself." I responded, rolling my shoulders.

'I'm actually starting to enjoy this.'

"You got this Yang!" Ruby shouted, fully confident of her sister.

Yang's eyes darted off to her sister for a second. I'd have taken the opportunity to strike, but that would be rude outside of an actual fight.

"It's rude to take your eyes off your opponent." I said, pointing out her inattention.

"It's a spar." Yang said "It's not a real fight, if it were you wouldn't be holding back."

"Hmph, you noticed." I smirked a little

"If you weren't, you'd probably be fighting a lot harder."

"You're right, if this were real I'd be fighting you like I did CRDL and this would be a lot shorter."

"Ooh, that sounds like a challenge." Yang said, still smirking

"It's a challenge, But don't think I haven't noticed you pulling your punches either. It takes more than a shotgun to crater someone into a wall."

"Heh heh, yeah" Yang continued, grinning "So, no more of the whole 'holding back' thing?"

"I dunno, you're strong but I don't _want_ to hurt you. It's just a practice fight."

"Aww, nice to know you care." Yang smirked

"Will you two _please_ go back to wailing on each other!?" Nora shouted

"Yea!" another student spoke up, apparently we were attracting the class's attention. Even Weiss and Blake were scrutinizing us.

"Kick his butt yang!" Another shouted

"Don't let her win Mask guy!"

"Twenty Lien on Masky!"

"Thirty on Blondie"

"I want blood!"

"Calm yourselves students." Goodwitch spoke over them "Let them finish."

'They all really live up to the term Vulture sometimes.'

"C'mon, let's finish this… Courier" Yang said, still sporting a challenging smirk.

"… Did you really have to say that Yang?"

"If it gets you serious? Yes… Courier."

"…" I sighed "I apologize in advance for this."

We both returned to stance and the fight kicked into full swing. Yang charged me, fist at the ready. The first swing missed as I easily side stepped. She followed them up with a flurry of speed she hadn't displayed yet. I kept out of her reach, letting her exhaust her speed. She cut herself off half way, dipping into a butterfly kick to close the gap. I whiffed the first leg and grabbed the second. Using it to slam her into the floor and stomp on her calf. Before she could retaliate, I backed off and let her re-orient herself.

The instant she was on her feet again I got in close and flicker jabbed her chest. Keeping her off balance so she wouldn't have room to hit. I cut the jabs mid-way through and kneed her in the stomach before giving her a cross to the forehead. She stumbled back shaking the hits off with a devious grin on her face.

She charged me again and I tried to cut her off with a straight. She dodged it and gave me an open palm to the ribs. Followed immediately by a high round house kick, it connected and I heard bells ringing. They faded quick and I deflected the next cross she threw. It hit my arm worse than before, what once stung now just flat out hurt.

I deflected the next jab she sent. Using the momentum to backhand her across the face and follow it up with a upward punch beneath the ribs. I heel kicked her back and she reeled for a moment before diving back in.

We connected our fists with a straight and I felt a shockwave travel down my arm. She was hitting harder and harder all the time. Almost like she was gauging how far was too far. I was going to take that choice away from her.

The next punch she threw, I dodge. The next kick I parried. Next knee I blocked. Ever strike she sent my way I deflected or stopped, no longer aiming to land a hit. I was learning her moves. Noticing her tells. She wanted me to fight without holding back, I was going to tear her down.

"What are you-" Yang noticed

She noticed too late. The next punch I trapped her arm and smacked her elbow straight. Making sure she wasn't going anywhere, I pulled her in full force and rammed my knee into her stomach. Before letting go I kicked down at her right leg and punched her in the nose again. Only when she attempted to retaliate did I push her back.

She staggered, shaking off the pain. She still had a wild smile on her face. She charged in again, aiming another high round house. I caught it, redirected it and kicked Yang's other leg out from under her. She used the momentum of her fall to try and drag me over with her. I released her leg and dove over top her, rolled past her and sprang to my feet on the opposite side of her. He back exposed to me while she was on the ground. In a real fight, she'd be toast. Instead, I hesitated, allotting her the second it took to sprang back again. In truth she wasn't bad, just that for all her training and instinct she was still green. If she had the experience this spar wouldn't be anywhere near as even.

I could see it in her eyes though, she was beginning to tire. She wasn't to the point where she'd collapse but she was slowing. If enough time passed I'd be able to wear her out completely. Though at this point, just a display of skill would suffice.

I put myself back on the offensive. I charged Yang, feinting a shoulder check. She put up her guard and I weaved past it, planting my fist in her gut. It was firm and likely didn't hurt much. But she buckled a little. I used it, flicker jabbing around her head, letting my fingers nimbly pass it by. My goal accomplished, I backed off and let her recover.

The instant she attempted to spring at me I made my play known. I held out my right fist and turned it palm side up. Revealing several strands of golden hair. Easily plucked from her head, which could have been much harder and more painful blows than the course I took. I could've taken her neck, ears, base of the skull, or anywhere else. This was a display she'd hopefully get. I might not be up to snuff physically, but I knew how to fight.

As she stopped herself, she noticed my open hand. She looked at the golden strands that lay in it as I dropped them to the floor.

"Word of friendly advice." I reiterated "Do _not_ call me courier."

"Y-you" Yang growled

'Good, she noticed, time to finish-'

"Oh no." Ruby whimpered

'oh no?'

I soon realized what Ruby meant. Yang's hair erupted into a wreath of flames and the purple faded from her eyes. Replaced by a solitary, furious red. I didn't know what happened, but Yang instantly jumped two notches on my Danger meter.

She closed the distance between us in a blink. Suddenly her left hand was gripping my shirt and emanating a fiery heat. The look in Yang's eyes screamed murder as she cocked back her fist faster than I could counter.

'OH NO.'

"You Monster!" Yang shouted, slamming her free fist into my chest.

All of the air was expelled from my lungs as Yang's punch collided. That was the first thing I noticed. The second was the near grenade-like impact and explosion she caused. The world blurred as I went flying, it stayed that way until I collided with the wall. I smashed through my previous crater, turning it into a hole. I bounced off the hallway floor, hit the opposing wall and flopped to the floor. The last thought before I lost consciousness again being thus.

'ow…'

…

"Does this hurt?" Nurse Ochre asked, poking my chest

"Yes." I growled

"Does this?"

" _Yes_."

"Does-"

"YES, it hurts, now will you please stop poking my wound!?" I snapped

"Very well." The nurse complied "It appears, aside from the burns, you managed to avoid serious harm this time. The first wall must've softened your impact."

"Whoopee" I drawled, staring down at myself. Yang's punch had left a starburst burn mark on my chest. A little salve would keep it from scarring, but that wasn't my biggest issue right now.

My parkstroller outfit had given up the ghost. Even if Yang punching me through the wall hadn't shredded it, the massive hole she'd burned into the chest would've killed it. She'd even burned a hole through my undershirt. At least I had spares of that. But now I was down my sparring and work outfit.

"This should help with that." The doctor Azure said, joining us. "It'll itch, but given time and proper medicine it'll most likely disappear."

He held out a tube of salve and let me apply it. I could practically feel it sucking the heat out of the wound.

"Thought after the last time you were in here you'd have gotten your aura problem taken care of." The doctor grunted

"I'm doing it in my own time." I answered, not giving away what I didn't know "… Any chance you got some spare clothes I could borrow?"

"Afraid not. Normally it's not an issue."

'figures'

"Well, if there's nothing else, I should be on my way."

"mmm, good day."

The doc went back to reading his scroll and I left the infirmary. I looked down the hall towards the sparring room and noticed my teammates were sitting patiently. As I approached, Ruby looked up.

"You're up!" Ruby said, rising from the bench.

The rest of my team took notice and followed suit. They looked me over like I just crawled out of a woodchipper.

"Go ahead and get it out of your systems." I said, fully aware of my wardrobe malfunction.

"Well… It's certainly special." Ruby said, clearly trying to phrase it as best she could.

"Ruby, I know I look like I just crawled out of a dumpster, you don't have to sugarcoat it."

"Sorry~" Yang said, a pained smile on her face "I thought your aura would've stopped that."

"It didn't stop me from getting a concussion did it?"

"Or from getting burned." Blake said, noting my chest wound.

"Eh, it'll be fine. Just need to put some ointment on it."

"But your aura gauge didn't even register in the red." Blake said thoughtfully. "You shouldn't have gotten burned that easily."

"Ah… well- uh, it's just not what you'd call 'strong' I suppose."

"But it wouldn't have needed to be." Weiss scrutinized "Even a weak aura can protect from wounds like that."

"Well, Yang wasn't holding back… so~…"

Weiss continued to scrutinize me. If I was being paranoid, Ruby seemed to be eyeing me as well. Though it might have been because I was currently looking like a vagabond.

"… If you ladies don't mind, I'm feeling a draft and would like to get changed."

"Oh- uh- go right ahead." Ruby said, letting me continue on.

"Mmm, I'll see you in Oobleck's class after lunch."

"Y-yeah… see you."

I walked past my teammates and back to the locker. The conversation felt a bit awkward, but when you're half naked _everything_ is awkward. But I was going to have to do something about my clothes now. I wasn't going to start sparing in my uniform or my Riot Gear. That was saved for _actual_ trouble. I wasn't going to wear the clothes Byzantium made for this either. They were nice clothes meant for special occasions…

'… hmm… Maybe I should pay Byzantium a visit this afternoon.'

…

The sun hung low in the sky as the afternoon rolled on. The mid-afternoon brought with it the students who had been freed from their academic responsibilities. Students who were now free to enjoy the remainder of an otherwise beautiful day. Many of them flocked to Vale, to enjoy the city in its splendor before it became crowded with tourists and incoming festival competitors.

This was a welcome change in pace for the shop owners and clerks of the city's limits. A chance to increase their cash flow and restock themselves for the coming weeks. Only a handful of stores would not share heavily in this. The tailory of Byzantium Porphyra was one of them. Its dilapidated appearance causing many to shy away from the treasures it held within.

Though it did little to dissuade the young huntresses that approached its doors.

A bell chimed as the door to Byzantium's tailory opened. Seated behind his counter, Byzantium watched as the two young women walked in. One wore a beret and Sunglasses in conjunction with the designer clothes that adorned her. The other wore much simple clothes, A black body suit, beneath a pair of shorts and a small jacket. Though they did little to distract from the pair of large, floppy rabbit ears that sprang from her head.

"Well now, this is a pleasant surprise." Byzantium rumbled "Wasn't expecting to see you again so soon Ms. Scarlatina."

"Hello Mr. P." Velvet replied shyly.

"I told you, you can call me Byzantium. Ms. Scarlatina." The bull faunus's gaze shifted to the second huntress. "I assume this is that friend of yours?"

"mmm hmm." Velvet confirmed "This is Coco, my leader."

"Nice to meet you." Coco said with a small wave.

"Pleasure." Byzantium returned the wave. "So what brings you two in today?"

"Vel said you had some nice clothes." Coco replied "I wanted to see them for myself."

"Well, you're free to look around. Everything in the shop is handmade, and if you need alterations I'd be willing to make them. Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"

"Hmm… not sure, I'd need a moment to see what you've got."

"By all means, go ahead."

Coco paced the floor of the shop. Examining the clothes on the mannequins. She was impressed by the quality of the work. Though they were not her style. Everything in this store screamed to an older fashion sense than her own. It was charming and in good taste, but not for her.

"Do you have anything more… modern?"

"Hmm, Ms. Scarlatina said you'd prefer something newer." Byzantium said thoughtfully "If you have something in mind, perhaps I could custom make it?"

"Tempting… but I think there's something else you can help me with first."

"What's that?"

Coco returned to her friend, who was standing around shyly. Coco walked up behind her and clasped both hands on her partner's hips.

"Getting this sexy little bunny a date." Coco said with a smirk.

Velvet's ears pricked up straight and her face quickly grew a blush to rival her surname. Her eyes widened as she turned to look at her partner.

"C-Coco!" Velvet squeaked in embarrassment.

"Oh?" Byzantium asked, a hint of amusement in his voice "Ms. Scarlatina's got someone she fancies?"

"I-I don't!" Velvet squeaked in defense.

"How bad is it?" Byzantium asked

" _Bad_." Coco said with a smirk, moving her hands up her teammate. "There's been this boy-"

"No there isn't!" Velvet protested

"Isn't there always?" Byzantium chuckled at the flustered rabbit faunus.

"He's been around the grounds for the past couple of weeks, working with one of the teacher's clubs."

"You've got a crush on the grounds keeper?" Byzantium continued chuckling

"H-he's not- I-" Velvet fumbled

"He's actually a student." Coco continued "A first year even."

"Oh ho! What's he like?"

"Can't really say." Coco smirked "She hasn't even talked to him once."

"She hasn't? Then what'd the boy do to catch her eye?"

"H-he hasn't-" Velvet tried

"Hush now Vel." Coco said with a pat on the head "The adults are talking."

"Hummm." Velvet groaned, her ears flopping down along her head.

"So get this:" Coco started "There's this dumb First year by the name of Cardin Winchester."

"I hate him already." Byzantium smirked

"He and his dumb teammates corner little Velvet during lunch while the rest of us are getting food."

"I don't like where this is going."

"Neither did we, by the time we got back Cardin and his team were picking on our sweet little rabbit. Pulling her ears and calling her a freak."

Byzantium's smirk disappeared and his massive frame tensed. "Oh, I'd love to have a word with _him_."

"So would we. But the moment before we could step in, this first year stepped in. He threw some mashed potatoes and corn at Cardin that looked vaguely like-"

"Please stop." Velvet tried

"Hush- anyway, so Cardin lets her go and goes after this kid."

"Suppose I would too, wasting food like that."

"-But he grabs the wrong one _entirely_. The kid had been sitting at a table with a bunch of other first years and Cardin grabbed the wrong one."

"Oh boy, this Cardin boy sounds like an idiot."

"Like you'd never believe. So while he's threatening the one kid, the one that helped Vel gets up, walks over to him, and _says_ something to get him to back off. Don't know what, but Cardin looked scared. Then this kid shouts at him to "Clean himself up" because he looks like a slob."

"Heh, I'm liking this kid."

"Same. After we talked with Vel though, we'd noticed most of Cardin's team had disappeared. _Then_ we hear a door breaking, and they're fighting with the kid in the Hallway. Three on one."

"Rough odds, didn't get too roughed up, did he?"

" _No_ , that's the thing. He beat all of them without breaking a sweat. Then Goodwitch had them all hauled to the Headmaster's office."

"Hmph, no surprise why you'd be interested then Ms. Scarlatina. He sounds like a fine catch."

"He's not- I'm not-" Velvet stuttered

"After that we start seeing him around school, taking care of the grounds. Guess who just so happened to stare at him every time we passed him."

"oof, sounds like you've got it bad Ms. Scarlatina."

"I-I do not have a crush on him!" Velvet finally managed to squeak out.

"Then there were those looks you'd give him during gym."

Velvet's face grew a few shades more red.

"Well now, this seems a fine cause." Byzantium answered warmly "I'm more than willing to lend my skills to a young faunus following her heart."

"I-I… I'm not-"

"But what's the boy's name?"

"We don't know." Coco sighed "Vel can't work up the nerve to talk to him."

"D'oh, now that's no good Ms. Scarlatina. You should ask him, if he's regularly around like you say."

"I'd make her." Coco assured "Unfortunately, he stopped showing up a few days ago. Guess whatever was keeping him on the grounds stopped."

"Ah, well, perhaps a dress to catch the young man's eyes. Or maybe a blouse to catch the wind and a skirt to show some skin?"

"Could you both please stop?" Velvet asked, thoroughly embarrassed

"Oh, no need to be ashamed Ms. Scarlatina." Byzantium chuckled "'Tis all in good fun. Now, why don't we see what I can do to-"

As Byzantium went to finish, the bell on the door chimed once more as a new customer entered the shop.

…

After classes were over, I changed into the clothes Byz had sold me on my last visit. Purple button-up, vest, jeans, and boots. They were the only clothes I had aside from my uniform now. I even managed to catch an early enough airship, so I'd be able to get back reasonably.

Byzantium's store hadn't changed much since I last visited. Still lined in the old style and taste as the last time I'd been in. Rustic wood meshed with old school flair. To my surprise, the place wasn't empty. There were two girls standing in the middle of the store. They looked vaguely familiar.

"Well now, business is booming today." Byzantium smirked

"How do ya do Byz?" I asked approaching the counter

"I'm doing good, Six. Been a while since you were here."

"Yea, been busy with some work."

I approached the counter, closing the door behind me. As I did, one of the girls went bug eyed and hid behind the other like I couldn't see her. She had rabbit ears, so she was clearly a faunus, but for some reason that just made her even more familiar.

"The clothes been treating you good?" Byz asked, looking me over.

"Just fine, stitch work's held up well."

"Excellent, hate seeing my work come undone. So what brings you in today?"

"I need a hand with something. I got into a bit of a scuffle with one of my teammates and my go-to outfit for work and sparring got wrecked."

"Hmm… well, I'm not one to normally do repairs on clothes you can replace. But, what do you have?"

I pulled out the remains of the parkstroller outfit and laid them on the counter in front of him. He stared at the tatters for a moment.

"… you didn't pull this from the garbage, did you?"

"No, I just put it through the ringer."

"Why would you wear something like _that_ for sparring?" One of the girls asked, walking up to the counter. She was wearing a beret and had this one long strand of hair running along her face.

"They were the only spare and/or work clothes I had. It was either that or ruin Byz's handy work."

"Thanks for that." Byz nodded

I gave him a nod.

"… shame." Said beret girl "It was pretty easy to spot you around beacon with that shirt on."

"Oh, you're a student?" I asked, looking her over. "I guess that explains why you look familiar. Don't think we've ever met though."

"Not formally." Beret girl extended a hand "Coco Adel."

"Courier Six." I took her hand and shook. She seemed decent enough. "What about your friend over there?"

I looked over at the rabbit girl who was still standing a few feet away. She was fidgeting awkwardly and looked uncomfortable. I must've been intimidating her, the mask has been known to have that effect. I was a bit taller than her too, the tips of her ears meeting my fore head. So that probably didn't help.

"She's free to introduce herself." Coco encouraged. "She's just a little shy."

It might've been my gasmask, but the rabbit girl's face got a little red. She leveled a small glare at Coco and cautiously walked up to me.

"H-hi…" She said, shrinking in on herself a little, ears drooping, and a small smile on her face. "My name's Velvet Scarlatina"

I looked the girl up and down a moment. "… Well, aren't you just as cute as a button."

"E-eh?" Velvet squeaked, going wide eyed and her face a bit red.

"No need to be shy, I'm not gonna bite you."

Velvet blinked at me, took a breath and tried to relax. "I-it's nice to meet you." She said with a smile

"Likewise, Velvet…"

I looked the rabbit girl over again. There was something disturbingly familiar about her and it was bugging the hell out of me. Which is weird, considering I don't know any girls with animal ears.

"… So, anything you can do to help, Byz?" I asked, turning back to the mountain behind the counter.

Byz picked up just the shirt and examined it. The sleeves were shredded, holes were torn in it, it was stained with every combination of sweat and grease, and a large portion of the front was charred beyond recognition. He didn't even bother to look at the pants.

"I think they're dead Six, sorry."

"Tsk, not you're fault Byz." I sighed "Should've figured they'd buy the farm with the way I wore them."

"I could make you a new set if you want." Byz offered "Wouldn't be exactly the same, but they'd be pretty close."

"I appreciate the offer Byz, but I think I should get something new anyway. Those weren't suited for what I was using them for and I'd feel bad using your work for something like that."

"Why not design something then?" Coco asked

"Design?"

Coco nodded "Byz does custom clothes, You could have him make you something new."

"For a price." Byz admonished "No need to worry about misusing it then either."

"Hmm, I suppose… Gonna need a moment to think."

"I'll get the paper for sketching if you're interested. Though I will give you a heads up, custom jobs aren't cheap, depending on the materials."

"… Yea, get set up, I'm going think for a bit."

"Alright." Byz smiled "Be back in a bit."

Byz left the counter and walked into the back. I took the opportunity to start thinking. I wasn't sure what exactly I was looking for. If I was going to be sparring I should replace it with some form of armor. Or at least something sturdy enough to take the hits. I'd been avoiding it, though after today there was no getting around it. But If I needed to take care of work, I couldn't have it be cumbersome. I needed to find a balance between the two. Perhaps I should start with the material. Byzantium was a tailor, so I couldn't expect him to work in sheet metal or plate. But he might have some experience with leather work. I hadn't used leather armor in a while. But having a full suit of the stuff would make labor a bit annoying.

While I was delving into my thoughts, Coco and Velvet congregated behind me. I wasn't getting the vibe that they were going to try something untoward, so I didn't make a deal out of it. Though I did make sure I was paying at least some attention to them. They were whispering about something, It seemed Coco was urging Velvet towards something. I tried to push them to the back of my mind as I tried to plan out how exactly I wanted my new clothes to look and work. I couldn't think of any ideas.

"U-umm… excuse me?" Velvet asked

"Hmm?" I responded, being pulled from my thoughts. "What's up?"

"I… I just wanted to say thank you."

I turned and looked at Velvet. Her face was still a shade of red and one of her ears was still drooping. "Thank you?"

"I never got the chance to before…"

"Well… you're welcome?"

Silence filled the shop as the three of us just stood there. Coco looked frustrated and pinched her nose. Velvet just stood there looking at the floor. I was standing around like a jackass.

'… This is awkward… Aight, fuck it.'

"I don't mean to be rude." I say, killing the silence "But what exactly did I do?"

"Eh?" Velvet said, looking up

"You thanked me for something, but I don't even know what I did. I know I might sound like a jackass, but what did I do?"

Velvet and Coco blinked. Coco pulled down her sunglasses and looked at me like the idiot I probably was. She then put her face in her hands.

"N-never mind!" Velvet squeaked, looking back to the floor

"Hold on, I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just trying to get a handle on what I did."

"It's nothing. Just forget I said anything."

'Ok, so it's _not_ nothing then.'

"I'm just trying to be polite, but for the life of me I can't remember ever helping you."

"Guess your memory isn't the best." Coco said, rolling her eyes.

"You're not the first to say that, and I am sorry. You'd think I'd remember helping a cute girl with… rabbit… ears…"

The memories clicked into place finally.

"Oh, I remember now!" I said "You were that girl Cardin was picking on."

Velvet looked back up at me. "huh?"

"Of course. I just didn't recognize you because you disappeared after Cardin let go. I should've made sure you were alright, sorry about that."

"N-no! It's fine!" Velvet said, her face getting a little red.

"No, it's not. I really should've followed up on that. I just never saw you again after that."

"You do realize we go to the same academy right?" Coco chimed in "You could have tried looking."

"I… I actually don't have an argument against that."

"Then perhaps you should try a little harder to apologize." Coco smirked

'smug little-'

"I-it's fine Coco, really!" Velvet stuttered "A lot happened, he doesn't-"

"I'm sorry." I say looking at the floor.

Velvet looked away from Coco and back to me.

I bowed my head a little "Sometimes, I get caught up in the flow of things and forget about making sure others are ok. I should've taken the time to look for you, I had ample opportunity due to circumstances keeping me on the grounds. I'm sorry that I didn't check on you after what happened and sincerely hope I didn't lead to making things worse. I'm sorry."

Silence blanketed the room again. Velvet was just turning more and more red, Coco lowered her sunglasses and looked at me.

"… PFT-HAHAHAHA!"

Coco then proceeded to burst out laughing.

"I'm trying to be serious." I growled in annoyance

"Then *hah* maybe you ought to *snrk* take her out to dinner too."

"Coco, please stop." Velvet whined

"Now you're just pushing it." I added

"What's so funny?" Byz asked, returning from the back of the shop.

"I have no idea." I said

"Hmm." Byz grunted "You have any idea what you want this thing to look like?"

"Not really. There are a couple of thing I have to keep in mind and I don't know what to do."

"Like what?"

"Sparring and general use mostly, but I don't want to wear something overkill. No sense in wearing an inch thick piece of cloth if I have to dig holes in the hot sun."

"Well, if customization is important, maybe you should talk to Ms. Scarlatina."

"Really?" I looked over Velvet again.

She was still a bit red, though I was starting to think it was a problem with my gasmask. Looking at her though, Part of me could see what Byz meant. Most of Velvet's outfit consisted of a body suit that hugged her body in a _very_ flattering manner. Over that, she wore a canvas jacket with some form of spaulder on both shoulders. Aside from that, she wore a pair of canvas shorts and boots that were trimmed with the same material as her spaulders.

"I guess I see what you mean." I say, walking around Velvet "Her vital bits are covered, which is more than I can say for most."

Velvet's ears drooped and she pull an arm in front of her self-consciously.

"-But I don't quite I understand the customizable bit."

"Well, Ms. Scarlatina's wearing an outfit she can alter as she needs. The shorts can be replaced with longer pants, the jacket with a heavier coat, or any number of possibilities. If multi-purpose is your worry, just leave room for change."

"Huh." I said, still looking at Velvet "Guess that explains the body suit, keeps you covered even if something happens."

"U-umm…" Velvet stammered "C-could you please stop staring at me?"

I then realized I'd been staring at her for several minutes straight by this point.

'Nice job, genius.'

"S-sorry." I say backing up. "Probably should've asked first."

"I-it's fine."

"… Right. I think I have an idea of what I want to do Byz, only question is whether or not you can work with leather."

…

The designing took about an hour or two to get a _rough_ idea of what was going to happen. The design took a few cues from the leather armor back in the Mojave. I took some liberties from there. The design amounted to a leather vest and spaulder, a pair of reinforced jeans that were darkened to match, and a pair of boots. I also added leather bracers to the forearms and legs, in case I needed to keep my guard up. Underneath it all was a body suit that, according to Byz, would wick sweat, and keep me cool. Something I wish the Mojave had more of.

Coco and Velvet stuck around through the whole process. Coco would add her two cents whenever she deemed fit to criticize. Velvet just continued to just watch quietly from the background. Though she did seem slightly interested.

"That's the rough plan then?" Byz asked "Any changes you want to make now?"

"None that I can think of." I answered "But if it stays customizable, I'm sure I'll come back later for changes."

"Alright, I'll get to work on it first thing tomorrow. Only thing now is payment."

"Of course, this is a business after all. You got anymore broken appliances that need fixin'?"

Velvet and Coco gave me a strange look.

"Not this time" Byz chuckled "so you'll have to pay some other way. If you've got some of that stuff left we could try bartering again."

"No need, turns out I've actually got a source of money after all. Just hadn't thought of it at the time."

"Really? Well rough estimate says this will easily cost a couple hundred lien in materials before labor. You got enough lien for that?"

"Well, not _lien_ persay. But-" I reached into my back pocket for my coin purse. I pulled out a small handful of denarii, about five, and held them out for the world to see. "-Will this do?"

Byz's eyes practically popped out of his head at the sight of the coins. Same for Velvet, maybe Coco too but she would've been better at hiding it then. Byz took one of the coins from my hand with nimbility you wouldn't expect from hands as large as his. He brought the coin close and looked it over like it was some alien artifact. Technically it was, though he didn't know that.

"Is… is this-"

"Silver? Yes, about an ounce's worth too. I've got more than this on hand too if it's needed."

Byz looked back and forth between me, the coin in his hand, and the ones in mine. He was probably running the math in his head. He didn't look like he was planning to try and fleece me, though it wouldn't have been too hard. I still wasn't sure what the exchange rate was here.

"… I'd say about ten of these could probably cover the materials." Byz said, coming to a consensus. "I'd accept it as a down payment until later."

"Works for me, the quality speaks for itself."

I pulled a few more coins out of the purse and deposited the lot of them into Byz's hand.

"When should I expect you to be done?"

"'bout a week or two." Byz said, still looking at the coins. "Check back later and I'll give you a better idea."

"Will do, with that I should get moving. The last ship to Beacon will probably be taking off soon."

Coco suddenly snapped to. "Crap, I forgot about that!"

"C-Coco!" Velvet said

"Right, sorry."

"We best get moving" I say heading for the door. "See you later Byz."

"Y-yea, see you later Six." Byz said, still looking at the silver in his hand.

…

The ride back to Beacon had been uneventful for the Courier and his acquaintances. As soon as the ship touched down at the docks of Beacon, He said his goodbys and left them to their business. The two huntresses in training walked the grounds for a short while after that.

"Heh, wow Vel, you sure now how to pick them." Coco chuckled

"Please stop." Velvet said, her voice barely a murmur

"Aw, don't be upset, it's not your fault he's a socially inept moron."

Velvet gave a pitiful whine.

"…Though I suppose it is your fault for having a crush on him."

"I don't have a crush on him!"

Coco smiled. "It's alright Vel, I'm your partner. He had some good points too, and his heart seems to be in the right place."

Velvet looked at the floor as the conversation continued. "Y… Yes, he did."

"Plus he called you cute a couple times."

Velvet's blush returned with a vengeance. "Y-Yes he did!" she shouted, trying to put the conversation to rest.

Coco chuckled at her flustered teammate. "You better call dibs on him then. Soon as word gets out he's loaded, everyone's going to be gunning for him."

"I don't have a crush on him!" Velvet shouted running ahead of her teammate with her head buried in her hands.

"Heh, what am I going to do with you?"

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed, these might start coming a bit slower soon. Lot of changes on my end that might have everything start slowing down. I promise it'll keep coming though.**

 **"M.A. 6": As I've said in the past, I'm not really sure how far I'm planning to go with this. That's not to say I don't have a plan, but life has a habit of getting in the way. Current goal is to get through volume one. At somepoint after that, I'll probably put up a poll about continuing. 'Till then though, wait and see.**

 **"Engineer455": WhenI started this, I made the firm decision that this was going to be a rwby and new vegas crossover. I wanted to keep things semi-coherent in terms of narrative and trying to blend multiple fallout Games in addition to RWBY right out the gate would've been a problem. So if the lone wanderer or sole survivor ever appear, it will be in passing and without bearing on the story as it stands. Plus, I've had more experience with NV than 3 and 4 anyway. That said, I do have an idea or two I'll probably take a crack at in the future... Maybe.**

 **"Lone Commentor": Working on it.**

 **That'll do for now, this Fanfic has been brought to by Scarlatina's Bakery. Try the New Velvet Cake, With a cup of Adel's Cocoa.**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	13. Cat in the Bow

Me and Cass hit the Strip like a storm out of the Divide. We didn't waste any time hoofing it back, I wanted this done before I lost the nerve to do it. I stopped off at the 38 long enough to grab a gun that could sneak through security and Rouse Boone to stand guard outside. After that, Me and Cass walked into the Tops. The clerk at the front desk missed the pistol completely.

We walked out onto the floor, the place was empty. We'd spent most of the night traveling back and the sun had only just come up. While there were still plenty of stragglers coming off a losing streak or a twelve hour bender, none would pay us any mind. Our work was going to require a more private setting anyway. We saw Benny standing at the far end of the floor, talking with some men in suits. Probably underlings of some kind. Me and Cass went in from the side, making sure he and his boys didn't notice until I had the barrel of 'Lucky' digging into his back.

"What in the goddamn-" Benny started, his head crept back just enough to see me and Cass.

"Hey, 'member me?" I asked, muster as much bravado as I could "I'm a ghost now, OOoooO."

Benny's boys went to pull weapons on us, I cocked the Hammer and made my intentions clear. They made a wrong move and the cleaners would be wiping Benny's blood off their corpses.

"E-easy now baby." Benny said, smooth as glass "No need to get-"

"No, actually, there is." I cut him off "Seeing as we've got some business to handle. To the elevator. Walk."

Me and Cass walked Benny to the Elevator, his boys watching us the entire time. The doors slid open and we backed him in. I tapped the button for the penthouse.

"Make a move, come after us, or try to stop us. You make any of those choices I redecorate the penthouse with your Boss's innards and the halls with the blood of each bastard dumb enough to try."

It was a bluff, obviously. I'd kill Benny if provoked, but I'd probably let his cronies live. Just make them scared to try twice.

They backed off and the door slid closed. One elevator ride later and we're sitting in the Penthouse. Benny's sitting at a mini bar, looking cool on the surface. Give him credit, he knew better than to show weakness.

I made things simple for him. I wanted an explanation, What was his end game? He had stepped on everyone's toes and made a mess besides just shooting and robbing me of my memories. But getting an answer out of him was a start. What I did after I got it was up to me.

Benny made it simple. He wanted to 'change management' as it were. Basically meaning Torch the legion, kick out the NCR, and lynch House. The Platinum chip was his means to do that. Whatever it was that House had stored into it was basically a guaranteed wild card. An ace in the hole that could Let Benny enact his three way coup. He somehow knew what route I'd be taking, what parcel I was carrying, and when. I didn't know how he did, but that didn't matter to me in the short term. All he had to do was act.

"… So you're saying-" I said, after Benny finished talking "- Is that you shot me, because that little hunk of metal is your ticket to fucking over everyone."

"Ring a ding ding, Baby" Benny said "Only chance I was going to get to nab the chip was before you reached Vegas. I couldn't take a chance on you running to House either-"

"So you Robbed me, shot me twice in the head, and dropped me in a ditch. Figuring I wouldn't get back up."

"It breaks my heart that things had to go that way baby, you have no idea how relieve-"

"Shut up." I said pointing the gun at Benny's head.

He promptly complied.

"Do you have _any_ idea what I had to go through to get here? I've had to claw my way across the Mojave the _long_ way. I've been nearly killed more times than I can count. I've been shot, stabbed, burned, beaten, and knocked on my ass so many times I should be dead without even counting the two bullets you put in my dome. I've become surrounded by a fucking shit-storm of trouble trying to track you down, Got the legion looking to kill me, the NCR trying to recruit me, House watching me, and the whole of the wasteland trying to figure out what my end game is. When the truth is, I just wanted some answers. I wanted to know why, I wanted to what was special about the chip, but most importantly I wanted answers about who I was. Because, motherfucker, you took a lot more from me than a fucking POKER CHIP!"

My left arm shot out and slammed Benny's head into the mini bar. He tried to resist, so I slammed his head down again before jamming the barrel of 'Lucky' into his neck.

"I've got no memory of who I was." I growled "You _took_ that from me. I'm nothing but a damn ghost now, regardless of if I was one before. I've lost everything, all because you wanted to play the wild card."

"That's… the way… the game goes… babe." Benny ground out.

"I WASN'T PLAYING YOUR FUCKING GAME!"

"How would you… know? You can't… remember." A smug smirk came across Benny's face.

My blood was boiling and I wanted to put a bullet in Benny, let this be done. But some part of me wouldn't pull the trigger. This snake deserved it but I couldn't pull the trigger. It wasn't until Cass put her hand on my shoulder that it made sense. She gave me a knowing look and my blood cooled a bit. I was furious, but I was going to do this with a level head. I retracted the barrel from Benny's neck and backed up.

"You're trying to rig the game in your favor." I said, glaring at Benny. "But you already tried that and this is where it got you."

Benny lifted his head up and glowered at me.

"Go ahead, play the wild card all you want. I'm not going to bother trying to stop you from following your pipe dream… But-"

Cass raised her fists and took another swing at Benny, he toppled to the floor.

"-If you _ever_ come after me or my companions, you send _anyone_ after us, or I so much as catch something on the wind, I'll be back. I don't care if you have an army at your back, I will come back here and make the last moments of your pitifully hollow life as horrifying and miserable as it will be short."

Me and Cass backed towards the elevator and pressed the button. I kept my gun trained on him the entire time. He stayed on the floor, either too scared to move or knowing better than to give me further cause. The elevator arrived and we stepped in. Cass hit the button for the ground floor."

"Fucking Courier." Benny growled

"… You're damn right." I said, surprised. This was the first time someone had tried to insult me with my title. "Just hope you got the message."

The doors closed and we rode the elevator to the ground floor. Leaving Benny with the chip and whatever idiotic plan he was going to concoct. Let him try what he wanted, I'd be back if he did. We reached the ground floor and stepped out of the elevator. Benny's goons didn't even bother trying to stop us this time, shows where their loyalties lie.

"So, how do you feel?" Cass asked as we walked

"Angry, bitter, and in need of a drink." I sighed "Was it really that easy? That felt too short for the shit I've gone through."

"Hm, guess you didn't find a Calm Heart, huh?" Cass passed me a bottle of moonshine.

"No, I hoped I'd get something out of that whole exchange. Some closure or something. Instead, now I know I got shot in the head as an afterthought on some egotistical jackass's power trip."

I took the bottle and raised my helmet enough to take a nip from it. It burned, but that just meant it worked.

"I was worried you were going to shoot him there for a moment." Cass said, looking at me thoughtfully

"I was. Then I remembered I already set an example, I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't follow suit."

"Did you mean that last bit though?"

"Oh hell yea, if he's dumb enough to come start shit I'll gladly finish the job. Same for you, obviously."

"Thanks" Cass smiled "But what about the rest of it? What are we going to do about him and the chip?"

"For today? Wait and see. I've officially made my move and now it's time to see how the world reacts… I'm thinking it might be worth my time to throw my hat in with the NCR."

"Really? That's a surprise. You don't seem to like a lot of their policies."

"Considering how they've screwed you, Boone, and everybody else? Yea, not a fan. But I know a lot of their people, and most of them are just trying to survive. I'll throw in with the NCR because they haven't given me a good enough reason to not back them yet."

"Not that there are better options anyway." Cass agreed.

"Oh yea, it's either them or I take a chance on house not stabbing me in the back. I'm not even going to entertain the idea of helping the legion."

"What about following Benny's 'pipe dream?'"

"Ha! Good one, I didn't need to talk with Benny to know _that_ 's going to fail. Seriously, one man toppling three armies and coming out king of the scrap heap? That's about as likely as a toaster coming to life so it can toast the world… Nah, I'll stick with the NCR. Besides, they're your home right?"

"For a term." Cass smirked

I collected my weapons and we walked out of the Tops. Boone was leaning against the wall of the NCR's rail station, watching everyone going in and out. He spotted us and met us halfway in the street.

"Judging from the lack of fire and screaming." Boone said "I guess you managed to either keep it quiet or talk things out."

"Heh, We talked it out alright." Cass smirked

"He'll live." I admitted "But if he's got a brain he won't try anything else."

"Good." Boone yawned "Can I get back to sleep then? It may be Founder's day, but on the rare night I can actually sleep I'd like to enjoy it."

"Shit, that's today?" Cass asked "Fuckin' forgot."

"Founder's day?" I asked

"It's a holiday the NCR has every year to mark the day Shady Sands took its first steps towards becoming a republic." Boone said "They drill it into you in basic. It's practically the only day anyone would get off."

"It's also a good chance to get drunk and eat barbeque." Cass added.

"Shit, I don't need an excuse for that." I said

"Then let's do it." Cass smiled "We'll get some supplies and party this afternoon. Consider it a celebration towards whatever comes next."

"Sounds good to me." I smiled "How about a nap first though? We spent all night running here and I could use some sleep."

…

"Take his mask off" Weiss whispered

I'd just woken up from a nice nap and those were the first words I heard. This trip was going to be fun. My teammates were seated on benches alongside me as the airship made its lazy journey through the sky.

"What? No, you do it." Ruby whispered "You're closer."

"You're the leader. It's your job to perform duties such as this."

"… You're right, I am the leader. Weiss, I order you to perform recon-"

"I respectfully decline."

"What!? You can't decline, I'm ordering you!"

"I decline on the grounds that such pertinent information should be first viewed by the leader."

"You should just leave him be." Blake said "If he hasn't taken his mask off there's probably a reason for it."

"So you're not even the slightest bit curious about what's under the mask?" Yang asked

"W-well, it's not that I'm not. But he has a right to his privacy."

"We've known him for two months already and he hasn't taken his mask off _once_ around us."

'Gee, when you're plotting while I sleep, I can only imagine why.'

"You could at least ask him before you try something like this, he might have a reason why he's wearing it."

"Like if he's horribly scarred? C'mon Blake, you want to know too. There's no way he'll take his helmet off if we just ask."

"… ok." Blake sighed

'… damn it Blake, why you gotta turn on me like that.'

As quiet as they could, Yang and Blake crept in front of me as I rested on the bench. Yang had a determined grin on her face and Blake was as hard to read as ever.

With cautious, quiet movements, Yang reached out for the edges of my mask. I let her grip the edge and carefully pull on it, trying to free it from my face. Except it didn't move. She hadn't bothered to undo the straps that kept it stuck to my head. All she succeeded in doing was lifting my head. In response to this, she pulled a little harder, still ignoring the straps.

"Urgh, come off already." She growled angrily

She pulled a little harder, lifting my back from the bench as she pulled. The straps held strong.

"Come. Off." Yang growled

"Maybe you should try undoing the straps." I said

Yang stopped pulling as she realized I was awake and fully aware of what she was doing. She promptly released my head.

"H-hey Six." Yang chuckled nervously "You uh- had something on your mask."

"No kidding?"

It'd been a few days since our spar now. My burns had healed up nicely with the help of the salve and my little gift from the sun. At Weiss's suggestion, Ruby had decided we should all take a trip into town. Supposedly, participants for this 'Vytal Tournament' that everyone was up in arms about were going to start arriving today. I tried to slip away before they could rope me into it, but Ruby was starting to wise up to my tactics. I was going to have to start changing them soon. Aside from my helmet, I was dressed in the clothes Byz had made. A bit fancy for a day on the town, but they were my only spare clothes except for the armors.

"Soooo… You ever going to take you mask off?" Yang asked

Blake rubbed her eyes in exasperation.

"Assuming I can trust you guys to not plot things behind my back?" I ask

Everyone sank a little at that. Clearly they weren't proud of what they just tried to do.

"W-well, if you'd just show us, maybe we wouldn't be so curious." Yang tried to justify

"That neither gives me a reason nor excuses attempting to violate my privacy."

"Yea, well I… I…"

Yang looked around to the rest of our teammates, their heads hung low. They were throwing her to wolves on this one.

"I… I'm sorry." Yang finally apologized.

"It's fine. Just don't do it again, please. How much longer until we reach Vale?"

"It shouldn't be more than a few minutes." Blake said, looking out the window.

"Aight, no sense napping again. So, remind me again, why is going to scope out the competition so important?"

"We aren't going to 'scope out the competition'." Weiss corrected haughtily "We're going to experience the beginnings of the Vytal Festival."

"Uh huh, and that's… important?"

Weiss looked at me like I was brain dead. "Of _course_ it is! It's a festival devoted to the cultures of the world! There will be dances, parades, and a tournament! The amount of planning and organization that goes into it is simply breath taking!"

"… Wow, when you describe it like that it sounds boring is shit."

"Language!" Weiss said "- and it is not _boring_. I am merely respecting the amount of detail and effort that goes into making such an event possible."

"I normally do that by actually _enjoying_ the festivities." Yang said under her breath.

"Quiet, you." Weiss said pointedly "I am allowed to take pleasure from this however I see fit."

"Oh yea, I'm sure it has nothing to do with students arriving from Vacuo today either." Yang smirked

"T-that's just a small bonus!"

"A-ha! You are scoping out the competition!" I say triumphantly

"No! That's- I… You can't prove that."

"Too late, got you now." I said "High five Yang."

Without even thinking I stuck my hand out and Yang smacked it.

'Yea, team work.'

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "I merely wish to give the incoming participants their due welcome. As a representative of Beacon, it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom."

"Whatever floats your boat Snowflake. I think I'm going to have to decline anyway."

"You can't decline, you're already here!"

"Of course I can, I have more pressing matters than watching you make googly eyes at the incoming contestants."

"G-googly eyes!?"

I turned to Ruby. "Last I checked, there was a place you wanted to show me?"

Ruby was confused for a moment before the pieces fell into place. "Oh yeah! I guess we can do that now. It's not too far from the pier either, so we can meet up with you guys afterwards."

"Aw, look at my little sis taking a boy out on a date like she promised."

Ruby's face flared red. "N-not again Yang! It's not a date!"

"Oh, you wound me Ruby." I say jokingly, putting my hand over my heart. "I thought we had something special."

Blake and Weiss stared in blank confusion at this display. Yang just kept laughing. Ruby's tiny frame was shaking with some combination of rage and embarrassment as she became a shade of red to match her name.

The ship reached its moorings and the door slid open.

"Y-you're both jerks!" She shouted, running off of the ship at the literal speed of sound.

"W-wait, Ruby!" I said, barely stifling a chuckle as I chased her "I need *snrk* you to show me the way!"

…

Following Ruby was easy enough. She left a massive trail of rose petals behind her the entire time she ran from me. The fact she'd managed to run so fast was definitely a shock. But, at this point, I've been punched through enough walls to know the people around here _aren't_ normal. Though I'd hardly broken a sweat trying to track her down. Meanwhile she herself was practically doubled over on the sidewalk in exhaustion. As I approached her, she noticed me but was too tired to try running again.

"You gonna keep running?" I asked "Or do you want to go look at some old tech now?"

"One… sec…" Ruby panted

I gave her a bit to catch her breath. I half expected her to do the childish thing and keep running. But she just glared at me in frustration before motioning for me to follow. We took a meandering path through Vale as Ruby stumbled through the streets, slowly catching her breath.

"So-" I started "Where'd you hear about this place? You don't strike me as the type to go antiquing."

"Oh, you know… around. I found a flier, they said they had weapons, I took a look with Weiss."

"Snowflake did something willingly? That's a surprise."

"Well, willing is a strong word. I _kind of_ dragged her with me."

"Ah, that makes more sense."

"She didn't really like any of the stuff there. Most of the clothes were too 'old' she said."

"Gee, almost like you were visiting an antique store."

"Crazy, right? But since we are heading back, I'll have a better chance to look around."

"Alright, how much further?"

"Just up ahead, it's the building with the large window at the front."

A few yards ahead was a fairly up to code building. To compare it to Byz's, it looked fairly modern and recent. A large display window with mannequins and old objects set behind it took up most of the store front, with painted on gold lettering declaring it to be 'Brown's Antiques and Knick Knacks' A small glass door off to the side of the window led in. The interior mirrored the exterior perfectly. Everything was well kept and maintained. Despite the intention of this being a store for older artifacts, the place was well put together. Whoever Brown was, they didn't have to struggle for a building like Byz.

All around the interior were objects of age. Weapons, electronics of varying origin, furniture, clothes, this building was representative of a world gone by. It seemed strange that a world as advanced as this might've once mirrored one like the pre-wasteland Mojave. It was chilling, really, knowing this is what we could've become instead of an irradiated pit.

"Hello?" Ruby asked, walking through the shop

"Just a sec." A voice came from the back, a little tinny, but rich like Bing Crosby.

A tanned man walked from a back room carrying a crate of knick knacks. He had a rounded head and pointed chin. He wasn't particularly tall, but he was wide. Wide and broad of shoulder. He had pale blue eyes and straight black hair that was just starting to gray at the roots. His mouth was small with full lips, rimmed with smile lines. He wasn't as big as Byzantium by any stretch, but every move looked like it sent his muscles rippling.

'Damn, does every shop-keep wrestle Yao guai for fun?'

"Ah, Welcome." The shop owner said with a smile. "Wasn't expecting much business today. Most folks steer clear when the festival starts up."

"That's a shame" Ruby said, eyeing some of the antique guns "You've got some cool stuff here, sir."

"Why thank you." The shop keep chuckled "You've an eye for the classics. Is there anything in particular I can help you with though?"

"Perhaps." I say, walking up to the counter. I ejected a cartridge of microfilm from my pip-boy "You got any of this stuff?"

The shop keeper eyed my pip-boy for a sec in confusion, then looked at the cartridge. I let him hold it and he looked it over thoughtfully. He didn't try seeing what was on it, more like he was trying to process if he'd seen something like it.

"Don't worry about having the casing-" I said, not wanting to discourage him "If you at least have the film I can do the change myself."

"… Hmm." The shop keep hummed thoughtfully. "I can't say I have the cartridges, no. But the Microfilm for sure."

"Perfect." I say, keeping my excitement subdued. No sense in giving my desperation away. "Do you have any with maps?"

"I do indeed, they're a specialty item though. Not very common now."

"Extra charge? I'm sure we can work something out."

"Alright. Do you have any map in particular you need?"

'… Might as well splurge, no sense in undercutting ourselves over a few bucks.'

"I'll take maps for just about any place you have."

"…" The shop keep looked at me curiously "Are you sure? That's quite a few maps."

"Hey, any knowledge is good. I don't have enough and if money is a problem we'll figure it out."

"… Alright, give me a moment. They're in the back."

The shopkeep disappeared into the back of the shop. While he was gone, I joined Ruby in examining the older weapons and tech. It really was scary how similar our worlds had been. A few minutes passed, and the shop keep returned with a cardboard box of small envelopes, each with a small square of micro film.

"These are all the ones I have in stock with maps." He said "Sorry about not being able to help with the cases though, I've never seen any like that."

"Ah, well don't worry. The company that makes them has been trying to keep things hush hush." I lied "They're doing a terrible job of it though."

"Apparently." The shop keep chuckled "So, how are you going to pay for them?"

"Like this" I placed some denarii on the counter. "Assuming you accept?"

"…" The shopkeep eyed the coins a moment, then raised an eyebrow at me. "… indeed I do."

He swiped the coins into his hand and rang up my purchase. He deposited the envelopes into a bag and handed it to me. I'd have to make up the cases later, when we got back though I was going to just replace one of the current cartridges with a map of Vale.

"Anything else?" The shop keep asked, still smiling

"Think that does it, unless you need anything Ruby?"

"Huh?" Ruby asked, having been eyeing an old lever action rifle the entire time. "No, I'm good."

"Guess that's it, thanks mister." I said with a wave.

"Any time." he said.

With that, we left the store. Wasn't a particularly big thing, but I was glad I'd finally found some maps I could put in my Pip-boy. It'd save me the trouble of having to memorize Vale now.

"Hey, if you don't mind me asking Six" Ruby started "why _do_ you wear that helmet all the time?"

"I have my reasons, don't get why you girls are curious though." I said

"… We wouldn't be as curious if you at least gave us a reason." Ruby said "You _do_ wear it almost all the time."

"That doesn't justify trying to remove it, but I can at least understand why. It's not like I'll bite your heads off over it…"

I thought about a believable way to explain it. It honestly wouldn't be too hard to just tell them the truth this time. But, dressing it up a little would probably help.

"… A few months back I took a hit to the head. So I started wearing a helmet."

Ruby looked at me for a moment, expecting more.

"… That's it?"

"Yep, doesn't need to be something crazy does it?"

'Like, say, I got shot for carrying a computer chip for a millionaire slumlord that could awaken an army of robots to fight the romans.'

"I guess…" Ruby finished "Sooo… What now?"

"Beats me, what else are you supposed to do on a date?" I asked with a hidden smirk.

Ruby's face immediately took on another shade of red. She punched my arm with her tiny fist. It didn't hurt.

"It's not a date!" She said in frustration.

"Hah, I know Ruby, just joking."

"… It's not funny." Ruby pouted, her face still red.

"Heh, don't take this the wrong way Ruby. But you're, like, twelve." I chuckled "You're a bit young to be worried about dates."

'That, and I _think_ I'm technically old enough to be your father.'

I'd never been too sure about what my age had been. I was definitely in my late twenties or early thirties. In the Mojave that meant Jack shit though.

"T-twelve!?" Ruby squeaked indignantly "For your information I am fifteen!"

"Really? You're so small it's hard to tell." I chuckled

Ruby punched me again. "I just haven't hit my growth spurt yet." She grumbled "I'll be big, I drink milk."

"Heh, ok Ruby."

"I'm serious!" She said, trying to validate herself "You watch! I'll be taller than _Yang_ in a year or two."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Me and Ruby continued to walk the streets as we figured out what to do next. I wasn't in any rush to go stare at incoming travelers, despite Weiss's interest. But there wasn't much that kept me interested in Vale otherwise.

"… So if this isn't a date." I said, not sure how else to continue "I guess that means we are just two friends hanging out?"

"I… I guess so." Ruby said uncertainly

"Huh, never had too many chances to do that."

"Me either." Ruby admitted shyly

"No kidding?"

"Mhmm, Yang was always the outgoing one. I've always been more interested in weapons"

"Heh, think I can understand that. Easier to clean a gun than talk to someone."

"Right!?" Ruby asked enthusiastically "I mean, I Iike talking to people too. But having to meet new people is… is…"

"Intimidating?"

"Totally. I mean I had friends back at signal, a small circle, but meeting new people always kind of scared me."

"Same, totally get the idea."

'Especially given recent history'

"… You have any friends back in the Mojave, Six?"

"…"

I let the silence hang between us a moment, not sure how to respond.

"… I had friends, in a way… except, they were more than that."

"ok…"

"… It's hard for me to describe Ruby, and I'm too sober to try explaining it right now."

That drew a look from Ruby. Almost like I wasn't the only person she'd met who had some regular dealings with the drink.

"But, to put it simply, calling them friends doesn't describe them well enough." I continued. "I always thought of them more as Companions than just friends."

"That's… an odd term."

"Hey, I'll explain it some other time. But in a place like the Mojave, you either have companions or you wind up dead…"

I blinked as I realized I was starting to slip up. I looked at Ruby through the corners of my gas mask, not wanting to turn and show I was looking at her. A look of concern had taken up residence on her face. She'd noticed.

'The fuck am I doing letting my guard down?'

"Six-" Ruby started

"Ah, forget it, nothing to worry about." I said "World's a wild and crazy place, right?"

Ruby looked at me silently.

"… L-let's go find the others, eh?"

I kept walking, trying to put my slip up behind me.

"… It got harder once my mom died." Ruby said

I stopped walking, feeling like I just got the verbal equivalent to a kick in the balls.

"… what?" I asked

"Making friends. My mom was always outgoing, always smiling and making friends, just like my dad. I never really thought about it when she was around. I was young at the time…"

I stared at Ruby for a moment. Trying to piece together what the girl in front of me was saying.

"… S-shit, Ruby, I'm sorry I wasn't-"

"It's ok." Ruby said with a pained smile "But I think I get it. Needing people or… dying. You can't do everything on your own."

"…"

I stared at the red clad girl for a moment. She had this pained smile on her face and looked like she was thinking of something that probably made her happy once. But by the hurt look on her face, it wasn't as happy as it should've been.

"R-Ruby, I… I-" I couldn't think of anything to say

"It's ok." She answered "Just gotta keep moving, right?"

"…Right." I agreed softly

We stood there a bit longer. I wasn't sure where we were supposed to go from here. It was right about then though, that a strange smell entered my gas mask. It was warm and sweet.

"What is that?" I asked, sniffing

Ruby seemed to notice too and looked around. She stopped when she focused on some cart at a street corner.

"That cart's selling fresh cookies." She smiled

"… cookies… hmm."

Rather than announce my lack of knowledge this time, I walked over to the cart and purchased some. I returned and handed some to Ruby, by way of unofficial apology.

"Awesome." Ruby smiled "Thanks."

"No problem Ruby." I said, swiping one of the cookies.

The moment she wasn't looking, I lifted my mask enough to pop the little circle of dough into my mouth.

It was _fucking_ amazing.

It was soft, chewy, and sweet. There was a bitter tinge of cocoa and a buttery richness. It was a little salty and plenty sweet. It was the most delicious thing I'd had since Ren's pancakes, and I _know_ my cooking.

'Graham dam! I gotta find a recipe for these.'

"I guess we should meet up with everyone." Ruby said, popping another cookie into her mouth.

"Yea, guess so." I grunted.

"The Docks should be just up ahea- whoa."

Ruby stopped walking and it wasn't hard to see why. In front of us was a police quarantine. The entire front and contents of a shop was blown into the street, surrounded by ticker tape. Police were combing the street, cataloguing object and evidence.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted

Both Ruby and I took note of our teammates on another side of the tape. We walked around the tape and over to them.

"Found what we were looking for." I said, holding up my bag.

"-and cookies." Ruby added, holding up the almost emptied container they'd been in.

"and cookies." I agreed

"But what happened here?" Ruby asked

"Robbery." One of the nearby officers said, overhearing us. "Second dust shop to be hit this week. Place is turning into a jungle."

"Ugh, that's terrible." Yang frowned

"No kidding, senseless destruction over some money." I said "- Never considered it a good thing."

"They left all the money again!" One of the officers shouted, probably to his fellows but loud enough for the rest of us to hear.

"Huh?" Ruby asked

"Duh, what?" I agreed verbally

I focused in on a pair of what I assumed were detectives near one of the blown out windows.

"Just doesn't make a lick of sense." The first said "Who needs that much dust?"

"I dunno, y'know wha amean" The second slurred, he sounded drunk.

"You thinkin' the- uh- white fang?"

"Yea, I'm thinkin' we don' get pai' enough."

Something about this was sounding familiar, but I couldn't tell what. I didn't make a habit of hanging around crime scenes so I wasn't sure why. Missing dust, money in the register, a ruined shop, it was striking a chord but I wasn't sure which. Though I still wasn't so sure what was special about dust, let alone why they had shops for it. Were there different varieties of dust? I thought dust was just… dust.

"Hmph." Weiss huffed, braking my train of thought. "The White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates."

"What's your problem?" Blake asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

"My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane."

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of Psychopaths." Blake crossed her arms "They're a collection of Misguided Faunus."

"Misguided!? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"

"So they're _very_ misguided. Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a dust shop. In the middle of downtown Vale"

'Misguided isn't the term Blake.'

"That doesn't mean they're responsible." I cut in "I mean, there're other thugs out there besides the White Fang, right?"

"That's right." Ruby agreed "Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago. Maybe it was him."

'Torchwick? Wasn't he that guy with the cane and bowler hat?'

"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." Weiss said, nose upturned. "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."

Blake glared at Weiss. I was glaring at Weiss a little myself now.

"Ok, Snowflake, you're at a ten on saying stupid shit right now I'm gonna need you at, like, a five."

"Yea, that's not necessarily true." Yang said in agreement.

"Hey stop that Faunus!" A voice shouted from behind us, derailing the conversation.

We turned back in time to see a commotion occurring at the pier. My teammates sprinted back to the pier with me in close pursuit. I arrived in time to make out one of the sailors calling a Boy with a tail a 'no-good stowaway'. I was going to assume he was the Faunus in question.

'Well, if irony ain't a bitch.'

The boy was currently hanging from a lamp post by his tail and peeling an oblong piece of yellow fruit.

"Hey!" The boy said "A 'no-good' stowaway would have been caught. I'm a great stowaway!"

He was a lanky guy, light tan with blonde spiky hair and blue eyes. He had a wild look to him that was reflected in his dress. Ripped jeans, red gauntlets, and a white button up that exposed a set of washboard abs to the world.

The boy scarfed down the fruit and left the peel in his hand. A set of cops approached him, they looked suspiciously like the ones we'd seen just a moment ago at the shop.

"Hey!" One of them said "Get down from there this instant!"

The boy hocked his peel at the officer's head.

With a show of athleticism, the boy swung onto the top of the lamp post. He made a small maniacal laugh like he just got away with murder, then leapt from the post. He sailed through the air a good thirty feet, hit the ground with a roll, and bolted towards the stairs away from the dock.

"Stop that Faunus!" One of the officers shouted

'Why? Can't handle your own job?'

The faunus bounded up the stairs, leapt off the top one and flew at me in the blink of an eye.

'What the-'

He landed on my shoulders, the sudden added weight collapsed me to the ground before he spring boarded off of me and continued running down the street with the cops in close pursuit.

"Sorry!" I heard him say as he retreated.

It took me a second to notice the newfound wetness on my chest. I pushed myself to my knees and realized I smacked down into a puddle.

'Oh you son of a bitch!'

"Well Weiss, you wanted to see the competition. There he goes." Yang smirked

"Quick!" Weiss shouted "We have to observe him!"

'Screw observing, that bastard owes me dry cleaning!'

With a growl, I bound to my feet and bolt after him. My teammates close behind. The cops and the boy had a good lead on us, but I was making up the difference quick. Either Monkey boy was slow, or he was just having fun with the chase. Either way, if I caught him I'd make him regret the mistake. The cops and boy rounded a corner and disappeared from view. I followed close, grabbing a Lamp post for anchoring my turn rather than slowing down. I snapped around and poured the speed on, fully prepared to run the boy down.

I noticed the girl standing in front of me a second too late.

"Shi- look out!" I said, trying to warn her.

My warning reached her too late. I collided with what felt like a brick wall and the two of us toppled to the ground. I recovered quick, looking back after the retreating police and faunus. The boy turned sharply and leaped into an alley, disappearing completely.

"No, he got away!" Weiss cried as my teammates caught up

I had to disagree with Weiss. From the look of it, he was heading for the rooftops. If I got to my feet I could-

"Uh, Six?" Yang asked

I looked back at her as she pointed at something in front of me. I looked and found that I'd landed on top of the girl I'd run into, who'd in turn been knocked on her back. I locked eyes with her through my helmet and she gave me what I _think_ was supposed to be a smile, but the way it looked made some part of my waking mind recoil.

"Gah" I articulated, getting to my feet "Shit, sorry miss."

"Language." Weiss grumbled

"Sal-u-tations" The girl said chipperly, giving a small wave.

Silence hung over everyone for a minute before Ruby remembered her manners.

"Uh… hello." Ruby replied

"H-hey" I stuttered

"… Are you… ok?" Yang asked

"I'm _wonderful_ , thank you for asking." The girl said in sincerity, still lying on the ground.

My teammates all shared a look, one I willingly shared with them.

"You're… kinda on the ground though." I said cautiously "Would you like a hand up bud?"

The girl paused a moment, visibly thinking over the question like it was a riddle for the ages.

"… Yes, that would be swell."

'Swell… there's an odd word.'

I bent over and offered my hand. The girl took it and I hauled her to her feet. She weighed a _ton_. No small wonder she felt like a brick wall when I hit her.

"Sorry for knocking you over." I said as I finished righting her.

"No worries, I'm able to withstand hits far greater than that."

"Rrright." I said, taking a step back. My teammates followed suit, this girl was weird.

"My name is Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Hi Penny…" Ruby started "I'm Ruby."

"I'm Weiss"

"Blake"

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head? *Jab* Oh, I'm Yang."

"Cour-… You know what, just Six."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny reiterated.

"You already said that." Weiss groused

Penny's eyes rolled to opposite sides of her head for a moment.

'ok, this girl's weird.'

She blinked and her eyes reset themselves. "So I did!" She said with an innocent smile.

"Well, uh, sorry for running into you." I say looking at where the boy and police had disappeared to. They'd long since disappeared now and there was no chance of catching up. I cursed my luck.

"We should be going though, right?" Weiss asked, slowly motioning to have us put distance between us and the odd girl.

"Y-yea, sorry." Ruby agreed, much to the silent thanks of everyone present. "Take care, friend."

Ruby and I gave a small wave of parting and we all calmly put some distance between the girl and us. We rounded the corner back to the pier and she disappeared.

"… She was… weird." Yang started

"Yang, you don't know weird until you've had to step down the rabbit hole a few feet." I chuckled

'Speaking from personal experience.'

"Now," Weiss started "Where did that Faunus Riff-raff-"

Before she could finish Weiss stopped short in front of everyone. Penny was suddenly standing in front of us. I had no clue how she'd gotten there considering she'd been standing behind us not thirty seconds prior. One thing I was certain of though, she had must've had a better stealth mode than my own.

"What did you call me?" Penny asked innocently

"O-oh! I'm sorry-" Yang started "I didn't think you could hear me."

'doesn't really make it ok Yang.'

"No, not you." Penny said, walking past a bewildered Weiss and Yang. She stopped in front of Ruby. " _You._ "

"Me!?" Ruby squeaked "I- I don't know, I-"

"You called me friend." Penny said, leaning into Ruby's personal space

'oh boy.'

"Uh, hey Penny-" I started

"and you-" She cut me off now invading my personal space "You called me 'bud'."

'oh graham dammit.'

Penny looked back and forth between me and Ruby. "Am I really your friend?

Me and Ruby shared a silent look, which we then extended to the rest of our team. They were outside of Penny's periphery and were making every conceivable universal notion for 'No! Stop! Danger! This is a terrible idea!'.

"Uhhh…" Ruby stammered

"… Sure" I sighed "The more the merrier"

My teammates and Penny all looked at me. Penny had a sparkle in her eyes, Ruby was surprised, and Weiss, Blake, and Yang looked at me like I was crazy. To be fair though, I'd made good friends with No-bark back in Novac. So crazy and odd didn't really bother me in that sense. He was pretty decent company all things considered. Part of me had wondered if he'd known about the divide before all the scorpion stings. Either way, Penny didn't strike me as bad people.

"… Yea, sure." Ruby agreed with a smile "Why not?"

The rest of our teammates went slack jawed at the two of us before collapsing to the ground for some reason. Must've had heat stroke or something. Though there was this guy banging against a large metal disc outside of restaurant. It made the scene just a bit funny.

"Ah ha ha!" Penny laughed happily, motioning to the heavens like she just struck gold. "Sen-Sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!"

Me and Ruby stared silently at the display for a moment.

"… Was I like this when we met?" Ruby asked

"… Not really." I answered after a pause "There were a lot more explosions. You might be thinking of Weiss or something."

"… S-so." Yang said, recovering from our act of insanity "… What brings you to Vale?"

"I'm here to fight in the tournament." Penny said proudly

"You're… fighting in the tournament?" Weiss asked, moving around towards me and Ruby

"I'm combat ready." Penny said with a proud salute.

"Uh huh." I drawled, looking her up and down.

"Forgive me-" Weiss continued "But you hardly look the part."

"Says the girl wearing a dress." Blake snarked

"Hmph." Weiss huffed "It's a _combat_ skirt."

"Yea!" Ruby agreed, sliding Weiss a low five.

'… already said my piece on it. Not touching that can of worms right now.'

"… Wait a minute." Weiss said, realizing something. She grabbed penny by the shoulders. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey tailed… rapscallion!?"

'Raspcallion? What is with the weird words today? Did everyone eat a thesaurus for breakfast?'

"The who?" Penny asked innocently

Weiss produced a picture I hadn't even been aware she'd made. It was a caricature of the monkey boy. At least, I thought it was. Either that or her art skills were as bad as Ruby's.

"The Filthy Faunus from the bot!" Weiss exclaimed

"Why do you keep saying that?" Blake growled uncharacteristically

"Huh?"

"Stop calling him a rapscallion, stop calling him a degenerate, he's a person!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, would you like me to stop referring to the trashcan as a trashcan" Weiss pointed to a street side trashcan "or this lamp post as a lamp post?" She pointed to a Lamp post.

I felt a small twinge of annoyance at this. Weiss was starting to push a button she shouldn't be.

"Stop it!" Blake shouted

"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time, He'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang."

'Ok, you know what-'

"Urgh, you ignorant little brat!" Blake shouted angrily

I looked at Blake in surprise like the rest of my teammates. This was a rare burst of emotion. Rather than stand around and wait for Weiss to answer, Blake turned on her heel and walked away from us. Likely trying to put some distance between her and Weiss. Unfortunately, Weiss seemed to be unfamiliar with the term conciliation.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" Weiss harped, following after Blake "I am your teammate!"

" _You_ are a judgmental little girl." Blake snipped

"What in the world makes you say that!?"

"The mere fact that you would sort that boy with a terrorist group-"

I stopped listening. I looked over at Yang and Ruby, who obviously wanted to watch this about as much as I did.

"Uh…" Yang said "I think we should probably go."

"… Agreed." I agreed

"Where are we going?" Penny asked

…

The ride back to beacon was full of constant bickering and fighting. I'd have imagined they'd at least keep it together until they were behind closed doors. But, nope, they argued and aired their dirty laundry for every passerby to see. I peeled off from my team the moment we touched down, wanting to give them some time to air until their throats were sore.

Unfortunately, they didn't. They went on and on for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. I could hear them at dinner, across the quad, on the opposite side of campus, and down the hall in my closet. A grand total of four hours had passed before I'd worked up the nerve to re-enter the battlefield.

I knocked on my teammates' door and Ruby, surprised, let me in as Weiss and Blake were readying another salvo of Arguments. I took a position in front of the door and shut it behind me. This conversation needed to stay as private as possible.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem." Weiss said

"That _is_ the problem!" Blake growled

"You realize you're defending an organization that _hates_ humanity, don't you? The faunus of the white fang are pure evil."

"There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like _you_ that force the White fang to take such drastic measures!"

"Blake, I don't want to sound rude" I said, breaking in "But if you want 'pure evil', you've got to know where to look."

Both Weiss and Blake gave me a glare hot enough to power Helios one.

"Oh, you better not be taking her side." Blake growled

"I'm on the side of the people who want to sleep tonight without your yelling."

Yang and Ruby shook their heads violently, trying to warn me this was a bad idea. I knew it was, but I was following through anyway.

"Blake, I don't have a full list of all the stuff the White Fang has done, but if they're even half the _terrorist_ group most claim it is, I've got a news flash. _Nothing_ condones what they've done. Be it murder, arson, theft, or jaywalking. It's _not_ ok. There's a difference between peacefully protesting and actively performing destructive or even _lethal_ crimes. I mean, fuck, the only people they're hurting in the long run is themselves. They can steal all the dust they want, but more Faunus are going to die digging to make sure the company makes a profit on the Dust it _lost_."

"That's a lie!" Blake shouted angrily

"Is it!?" I asked "Because from everything I've seen, they've done jack-all to refute it. If they're just the misguided and disgruntled people you claim they are, then why haven't _any_ of them tried to step forward and change that!? If any of them, even lowest initiate, believed for a second what they were doing was wrong, why don't they step forward!? Because the truth is, none of them _want_ to, they've embraced the idea that if the world is going to treat them like animals, maybe they should act like it. They don't _care_ about the world or 'making things right'. They're a spiraling pit of spite whose existence is hell-bent on making sure _everyone_ suffers even if they've never had a hand in what started all this."

Blake's jaw dropped and the glare she was giving me intensified tenfold.

"See, even _he_ agrees with me." Weiss said with satisfaction.

"-Oh no." I continue, fully on a roll "That doesn't absolve you."

I turned on Weiss now.

"First off, degeneracy is a medical condition brought on by a number of factors, ranging from illness and addiction to genetic degradation. To imply that the entirety of the White Fang is somehow comprised Addiction addled, inbred Faunus is both Technically and Morally reprehensible, as well as unlikely."

"I- I wasn't-"

"Second, labeling them as psychopaths is not only terminally wrong but also indicative of an assumptive nature. The term you're looking for is sociopathic, as in lacking moral direction and conscience as they neither see a need nor desire for one. On a whole, labeling them as being mentally ill is both dangerously inaccurate and presenting another layer of issues on its own. To be frank, I do not agree with labeling them as being mentally handicapped and suffering from degeneracy is both wildly and dangerously inaccurate. It's assumptions like that which _spur_ violent backlash, regardless of how unstable the described party may be. In the end, even if the White Fang _has_ something that makes them redeemable, burying them as being criminals, mentally ill, infirmed, or the like only _fans_ the fires. You make the problem worse by claiming superiority through the same tactics they would use to tear you down."

I now regarded both of the huntresses.

"On the whole though, you _both_ seem to be entrenched in your own view points to the degree where it's neither beneficial nor conducive to a healthy relationship. You both only care more about your personal history without seeming to acknowledge the other's viewpoint or considering the _reasons_ for them. Without considering the Idea that what may seem good to you has been nothing but misery for the other side!"

I was practically screaming by this point. This shit was digging up some not so old memories that I really didn't want to remember right now.

"Good?" Weiss started "Good!? You think things have been good for me!?"

"From everything you've said and every view you've spoken, the only person you've showed any care towards is yourself." I growled, Weiss wanted my attention, she was getting it. "The world bends to your beck and call and you have the _audacity_ to claim that it isn't fair because the dish ain't silver."

"That isn't true!" Weiss shouted, for the first time I could think of, she was furious

"Then stop claiming it and prove it!" I shouted "You keep claiming you're right, so why don't you-"

"I'm a victim!" Weiss shouted "You want to know why I despise the White Fang!? Why I don't trust Faunus!? It's because they've been at war with my family for years!"

It was my turn to clam up. Weiss turned away from me, genuinely shaking with anger as she stalked over to the window.

"War." Weiss continued, her voice an angry hiss "As in _actual_ bloodshed. My Grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear, Board members be executed, entire train cars full of dust that people _died_ to mine; stolen."

Weiss hunched over slightly, the emotion seemed to burning her out. "And every day, my father would come home furious and that…" Weiss paused for a moment. Probably trying to find more kindling for that anger fire she was burning. "… made for a very _difficult_ childhood."

My brain put the pieces together without much effort. It almost played out like a slideshow, really. Seeing Weiss, a young girl with stars in her eyes and boundless energy, probably flitting about with friends, spending her days as kids should. She's happy, no reason not to be. Then her friends disappear. For no reason, her whole world starts turning in on her. _Her_ a young girl who probably didn't have a clue what was going on, watching her friends disappear or _worse,_ die in front of her. She wouldn't understand why, only that some Faunus were doing it because they weren't happy. For reasons beyond her control, the world turned upside down and she's left trying to hold on.

Suddenly, I didn't see a racist teenage girl. I saw a young girl who's been dealing with the fallout of something beyond her control for her entire life. Suddenly, I didn't see a rich little snob. I saw a kid, surrounded by all the fanciest toys but just wanted a damn hug. Suddenly, I wasn't staring at Weiss trying to justify herself in front of her teammates. I was staring at myself, trying to make sense of why _my_ world had come undone.

Suddenly, her singing made a lot more sense.

'Mirror, mirror, who's the loneliest of all…'

I felt a lump forming in my throat, as I realized I'd been shooting off at the mouth like a jackass. Without even the slightest clue as to what was going on. Like a goddamn hypocrite.

That probably burned me up the most.

"W-Weiss, I-"

"No!" Weiss shouted, the fire finally fueled "You want to know why I despise the White Fang!?"

She started towards me, but part why through changed course. She was aiming for Blake too.

"It's because they're a bunch of liars! Thieves! And Murderers!"

"WELL MAYBE WE WERE JUST TIRED OF BEING PUSHED AROUND!" Blake shouted

The room fell quiet enough for a pin drop to be heard.

"… We?" I asked softly

Blake's eyes went wide with horror. We were all staring at her now, stunned into silence. She took a small step backwards.

"I-I…" Blake stammered, a look of fear spreading across her face.

"B-Bla-" I started

I never finished. With hereto unprecedented speed, Blake slammed into me with a blind run. She blew past me, slamming me through the door and out into the hallway. She darted past me, down the hall, and out of sight.

"Blake! Wait!" Ruby shouted, running out into the hall "Come back!"

Blake didn't, she was gone.

* * *

 **... Well, that was a thing. I know I said these would slow down, but apparently I like to do the opposite of what I say. Either way, hope you enjoyed.**

 **"SparkysBro": They are the fuel of the fire that warms the world. Never mind that the fire is the searing hatred of a couple hundred people.**

 **"Itharax:" You too.**

 **"Tincanman123": Maybe, like I said I'm trying to get as far as I can with it but life has a habit of getting in the way sometimes.**

 **"Quarttzblade12":** **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**

 **This Fanfic has been brought to you by Wukong's Market. You'll go bananas for our fresh fruit...** (Who writes this crap?)

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	14. V1 Finale P1: Fire in the Soul

I managed to get six hours' worth of sleep before deciding it was time to get up. I had to get some meat and Maize for barbequing and figured it was time I finish up a job I'd been assigned sometime prior. After hunting down whatever was biting and trading with Farber at McCarran, I paid Michael Angelo a visit at his studio. He paid good caps for those pictures and I figured it was worth my time to pass them along. He was a stand-up guy, even let me keep the camera and offered to give me more film if I ever needed it.

With my spoils, I strolled down the strip. No real rush to get back to the 38 yet. We'd probably be at it a few hours anyway. We'd start when everyone was hungry and awake. It'd be a perfect chance to try experimenting with some new recipes too. I'd been wanting to try my hand at a mutfruit and mesquite sauce.

I drew close to the 38, and just started up the steps when the idiot made himself known.

"For the crimes committed against Caesar." The voice said "I should execute you where you stand."

I stopped and turned to look down them. Dressed up like a dapper gambler was a man who had just outed himself as a legion spy. The securitrons nearby paid us no mind. Though if I knew House, he was listening closely right now and waiting for a reason to vaporize the little shit.

"Dumber last words have been said." I groused "most by the last of your comrades dumb enough to try."

The spy glared at me before taking a deep breath. "I am Alerio of the frumentarii-"

"Don't give a fuck what kind of fruit you are. Fuck off."

"- If it were up to me, I _would_ execute you where you stand."

"Yeah, good luck with that."

Alerio continued to glare at me as he bared his teeth. I was agitating him. Good.

"As much as I desire to do so though, I have been instructed to deliver this to you." Alerio produced a medallion from his pocket, a gaudy thing that only the Legion would consider beautiful. "By right of accomplishment and merit, I present to you the Mark of Caesar. Absolving you of all past crimes and misdeeds."

I stared at the disc of metal Alerio's grasp.

"… Alright, I'll bite." I said "What's this about, did Caesar decide to wave the white flag after watching his boys get butchered?"

"How dare-" Alerio cut himself off suddenly. He knew I was riling him, He breathed deeply and tried again "Lord Caesar wishes to speak with you."

"… what?"

"This mark will allow you to pass freely to him without fear of repris-"

"Ok, now I _know_ you must think I'm stupid."

Alerio glared at me even more intensely. "I wouldn't need to explain this to you otherwise."

"Oooh, that's the closest any of you've ever come to wounding me."

"I do not have time for this." Alerio growled, tossing the mark at my feet. "Take it and deliver yourself to Caesar, profligate."

"Mmm… No, I'm fine." I raised my helmet enough and spat on the mark before kicking it back to him. "Tell your impotent 'king' I'll deal with him in my own time."

Alerio looked from the mark to me, stunned. Though it faded and he seethed with anger. "You dare to continue your affront to Caesar, in the face of such generous mercy?"

"Without missing a beat. If your lord were generous in mercy he'd never have built a legion of rapists and murderers for him to act as a despotic lord over."

"The legion is a glorious empire, built in the ways of an old world that mirrors our own!"

"Formed through the subjugation, rape, and slaughter of countless tribes. That regularly rejects technological advances despite the lives it can save and wallows in its own insanity based logic."

"OUR WAYS ARE SUPERIOR! THEY SHALL CAST DOWN THE BEAR!"

"Your ways are a joke, written in the sand with piss."

Alerio roared, dropping all pretenses of civility and charged me. I dropped my supplies and met him part way. For a fruity-whatever, he sure sucked at hand to hand. He threw a cockeyed straight that was heavy in strength and follow through, but slow as a crippled radroach. I harmlessly deflected and locked his arm. With a twist I snapped his wrist and popped his elbow out of its socket. He howled in pain as I slammed him into the sidewalk, face first.

"I'll make it simple enough for that sun bleached brain of yours to get." I said, getting in close for him to hear "I despise your 'legion' with a burning passion. Everything you stand for is an affront to what morals I have, and every act you make sickens me both physically and mentally in their sadism and cruelty."

I twisted the loose limb tighter, Alerio howled.

"I do not want your absolution, What I want is an end to your bloody revolution. I don't care if I have to personally slaughter every legion assassin in the Mojave until you get the message. But maybe _this_ will make it clear to the twit you call king. Leave me the _fuck_ alone or he will get his wish. I will visit him, as I slaughter my way through fortification hill and deal upon him the same fate as the fool he draws his name from."

A _lot_ of that was a bluff. I'm not crazy, you'd have to be to think you could successfully storm one of the most tactically secure locations in the Mojave on your own. But this was my solution, put the fear of whatever higher being there might be into Caesar and hope he listened.

"Do you understand?" I growled

"Y… yes." Alerio said, defeated.

"Good… now run."

I released his broken limb and Alerio scrambled away from me, his gambler wear dusted with dirt and sand. He dared to glare at me for a moment, then fear took place of his anger and he fled. He limp arm flapping the whole way as he passed the strip's gate.

I took a deep breath and collected myself. That hadn't been how I wanted my day to be preceded. I'd just wanted to enjoy some damn barbeque and get drunk. I picked up my supplies and walked into the 38.

There was a bit of an argument about where we should actually _cook_ the food, but I decided the cocktail lounge was as good a place as any. We all met up in the observation deck and let the afternoon roll on. I had to take care not to send the place up in smoke or set off the ancient fire suppression systems. Though I wasn't sure either of them even worked.

I cooked as many dishes as I could think of and spread them around for everyone to eat. Cass handled drinks, Veronica and Raul worked to make the Jukebox sing, Lilly played with Rex, and Boone sat at the window with ED-E. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, even Boone seemed unusually chipper despite his stoicism. Once the cooking was done, everyone dug in and we enjoyed the evening. I kept my distance though, needed to think about some things. I sat in one of the booths that encompassed the lounge, staring out into the Mojave.

Benny was gone. No surprise he'd beat feet after I let him live. If any of the news I heard was right, he was supposedly heading for Fortification Hill. Given its current occupants, he wasn't going to make it very far. Then there was House. He'd made it clear he was a patient man-computer-thing and that he didn't mind if his "pawns" needed to make a few tricky maneuvers if it meant a better end game. Then there was Alerio just now, offering me a straight shot at Caesar. Part of me was starting to wish I hadn't turned him down, if for no other reason than I could just walk up to Caesar and shoot him.

As though sensing something was up, Cass flopped down next to me on the couch.

"You've been quiet since you got back." She said with a smile "What's wrong?"

"Just… thinking." I answered

"What about?"

"Everything, really. But mostly about how crazy this all seems." I looked out the window at the sky. "Few months ago, I was just some amnesiac dumbass who'd gotten himself shot. Now I'm an amnesiac dumbass who's caught in the middle of something he's got next to no control over."

"How're they any different? It seems like you've been getting shot at anyway."

"Yea, but before it at least seemed like I had a goal. Find Benny, square away with him, and move on. Now… now I'm left without that." I looked back to Cass. "I've got no goal aside from 'keep moving forward' now. Truth be told, I think I'm more scared now than when I was waiting to face Benny."

"Of course you would be." Cass chuckled "It's not so clear cut now, right?"

"Fuck no, now I'm basically in the dark until I start doing what I need to. There's a storm coming and the future just got a whole lot less certain."

"Well we're here for you." Cass said, putting an arm around my shoulder. "We're as much in this as you are."

"Yeah, and that's my fault. You guys are getting dragged into something you shouldn't be because of me."

"Heh, how's that any different from what we've _been_ doing so far?"

"Before you could've walked away at any time. If you all move forward with me, you either make it through or die. There's no turning back."

Cass turned thoughtful for a moment. "… Yea, I suppose that would make a difference, huh?"

I looked at the floor. "You've all been following me until now, either out of respect or whatever. But the idea that you guys could wind up dead because of me… it worries me."

"Aww, glad to know you care." Cass smirked

"I'm serious. I've got you all following me and the thought that something could happen to you guys… You all trust me for some reason, you trust I won't turn my back on you or leave you. I don't want to betray that trust. I mean, shit, I've never even had my helmet off around any of you the entire time we've been together, it's practically a security blanket at this point. Even after all the shit we've been through over the past few months you guys have never seen my face and yet you all still trust me enough to follow me to our potential graves. What'd I do to get that kind of trust?"

"… you really want to know?" Cass asked

She raised my head so I'd get a look at everyone.

"You see that old ghoul?" Cass said referring to Raul "When you brought him here, all he did was complain about his old bones and whine about being useless. Whenever you two come back from traveling, he's got a smile on his face and won't complain about his age for at least a day or two."

"You see mr. Stone-face?" Cass directed me to Boone. "Ever since what happened at Bitter-Springs with you two, he's been more willing to show something besides that trademark indifference most snipers have."

"You see little miss knuckleduster?" Now talking about Veronica "Ever since you brought her that dress, she's never stopped smiling."

"You see that hound-dog over there? There was a time not too long ago when his brain was going rot away and he'd be gone. But you found him the brain from some sweet old protector and made sure he'd get to stick around a while longer."

"I can't say as much for the robot or the blue giant. But something tells me they've got something coming their way in the future…"

Cass turned my head to look at her.

"See the angry bitch in the straw hat?" She said, the warmest and softest smile I'd ever seen her wear on her face. "For the first time in months, she didn't feel like she needed a bottle to help her sleep."

That arm she'd wrapped around my shoulder turned to steel and she pulled me in close, wrapping her other arm around me and locking down tight. Almost like she was worried that if she didn't I'd disappear.

"You wanna know why we trust you? After all you've done to help us, we'd have to be as heartless as House to think you'd turn coat on us." She put her hand on the side of my helmet "Face or no."

"… Gee, laying it on thick, aren't you?" I asked, clearing a small frog from my throat.

She just gave a small chuckle and smiled a bit longer. She hugged a bit tighter for a moment, then released me. "Come on, dumbass. The food will get cold if you don't eat."

With a pat on the back, she got up from the couch and sashayed back to the party. I sat there a bit longer, just looking at all of them.

My companions.

"…"

I reached through my pocket and pulled out the camera. I stood and walked over to the party, a gathering of smiles that'd melt the hardened heart of any scavenger. I was going to capture that, even if it only lasted a moment. I'd hold onto this, no matter what came.

After we took it, I decided to take my helmet off and eat with them.

…

I was awake before my alarm. I didn't have a night in recent memory where not even my knock-out juice couldn't give me peace. Now I did, along with a desire to roll over and ignore my alarm. It was the weekend, wasn't I allowed to rest?

There's a phrase I never thought I'd get to say.

I silenced my alarm when it rang, turning over in my cot in a fruitless attempt to fall back to sleep. My head was swimming with thoughts of missing photos, missing Faunus, and a sleep deprived desire to finish the job Benny started. It wasn't until I heard a knocking on my door that I finally rolled out of my cot to see who it was.

I opened my door and found Ruby standing there, dressed and ready for the day. She looked down trodden at first. Then she got a look at me, went to say something, stopped, and looked me over. A small red blush was coming over her face.

"U-uh…" Ruby stammered

I looked down and finally remembered I was wearing my sleep attire of underpants and undershirt. I'd only been using Byz's pajamas on occasion.

I sighed, closed the door, and pulled some pants on. I reopened the door and Ruby was _less_ embarrassed.

"What is it?" I grumbled

"… Blake still hasn't come back yet." Ruby said

"I was worried as much, when you said she hadn't come back yesterday."

It had been close to forty eight hours since Blake's little run into the night. About as long since I'd put some distance between me and my teammates too. I felt if I showed myself too soon I was liable to land in some more hot water. But now Blake hadn't returned either.

"… We're planning to go looking for her after breakfast." Ruby said

"… Alright. I suppose you want I should settle with Weiss then?" I asked

She nodded.

'Great, just wanted for breakfast: crow.'

"I'll be along in a bit."

Ruby nodded and left me to get changed. I'd probably change into my armor later, for now I was just going to loosely button a shirt and slip my boots on. I probably looked like a mess, but I wasn't ready for what was coming, so I didn't really care.

I left my closet and walked over to my teammates' room. I took a breath and knocked on the door. There was a moment's pause, then Yang opened the door. She looked me over quick and gave me a smirk.

"Shut up." I said

She rolled her eyes and let me in. The room hadn't changed much, except for the missing occupant. Ruby and Weiss were sitting on the lower bunk of their beds. Weiss looked up, noticed me, and started scowling. I took a deep breath and dug in.

"Before you say anything." I start "I just wanted you to know I'm sorry for assuming you were just being a bigot."

"And?" Weiss asked

"… and for being a brat."

"And?"

"… and for assuming you haven't suffered."

"And?"

"… and… for being a jackass."

"Thank you." Weiss said with an upturned nose.

'deep breaths Six.'

"So, if that's all, should we get on to finding Blake?" I asked generally

"I don't know why we should bother." Weiss scowled

"She's our teammate Weiss." Ruby said "We _should_ be worried."

"Yea" Yang chimed in "What if something happened to her?"

"Then we should leave her to the police." Weiss answered pointedly "Let her be their problem."

I felt my fist clench. 'Calm, Six.'

"Weiss, that doesn't help." Ruby frowned "We don't know she's done something bad."

"We _don't_?"

"We don't even know her side of the story."

"Is that what you think? Because I think we know it pretty well."

Weiss got up from the bed and paced the floor.

"She admitted she was a member of the White Fang. She admitted to having been part of a _terrorist_ organization, whose sole goal is wiping humanity off the face of the planet."

"But-"

"Then, before any of us could ask questions, she ran. Not stay to explain, not try to justify herself, she _ran_. Because she knew she had no way of defending against her crimes."

I could feel my jaw tightening. 'Gee, I wonder why.'

"That doesn't mean she's guilty!" Yang snapped

"Doesn't it!?" Weiss shouted "She ran! She could've stayed, but she ran! The innocent don't run!"

I felt something snap inside me. 'Oh that fucking does it.'

"The innocent don't run?" I asked, anger creeping up in my voice "The _innocent_ don't _run_?"

"Oh no." I heard Ruby squeak, She and Yang gave me a look of warning again.

Weiss just scowled at me. "Yes, if she was innocent she wouldn't have-"

"She wouldn't have fucking run if she didn't feel like her teammates were about to turn on her!"

"Language!"

"I don't give a fuck! What makes you think you have the right to judge her for running!?"

"Because I haven't done anything worth running from!"

"Haven't done any- Bitch you flat out called your teammate a murderous thief to her face!"

Weiss went wide eyed "Excuse me!?"

"You fucking heard me! You want to know why she ran, because I can hazard a guess. I'll bet she ran because in the instant it took you to call her a thief and a murderer, she realized she _wasn't_ being treated as a teammate anymore. You made it plain as fucking day you thought she was practically living dirt, and wanted nothing better than for her to be hauled off by the police."

"I never said she-"

"You didn't _have_ to! You weren't making specific cases, you were carpet bombing the entire White Fang organization and its constituents as being inbred psychopaths!"

I got up close to Weiss now. Yang and Ruby were slinking back and I was letting my Terrifying Presence shine through. Weiss was starting to shrink a little, this wasn't how she had expected this to go, and neither had I.

"You want to know _why_ she ran? _Why_ she's hiding and hasn't come back yet? It's because she thinks the few people she might be able to trust right now want nothing more than to throw her to the wolves!… Let me ask you something Weiss. Have you ever been in a place where you don't know who to trust? Have you ever had a night where you can't fall asleep, because someone might make sure you won't wake up in the morning?"

"… Have you?" Weiss asked, in a feeble attempt to deflect.

"Yes." I said in blunt anger "In the Mojave life expectancy is fucking short. Just judging by your answer, one thing just got clear. For all the bullshit you've probably gone through in your life, you're still a brat."

Weiss flared a little in anger. It died instantly as I loomed over her. I was furious. For all of the shit that came out on Friday, this girl had the audacity to think Blake a criminal. _Blake_ , the girl she, Ruby, and Yang had been bunking with for two months.

"If Blake really was with the White Fang and you're their 'mortal enemy', she'd have slit your throat in your sleep and been gone before the sun rose." I growled "She wouldn't have dicked around. If you're serious about it, you just do it. Fact of the matter is, for whatever side of the story Blake has, you don't want to hear it. You want to throw that trust out the window and let the cops handle her. How would you feel if the people you trusted turned on you!? What would _you_ do!? Because dollars to donuts says you'd run and hide because every safe haven you had just got blown to shit you ignorant little-"

"S-Six." Ruby said, catching my attention.

My head snapped to her with a hidden glare. She was practically curled up in the corner of her bed, with Yang crouched protectively in front of her. They looked uncertain, like they didn't know what to make of the situation right now. I looked back to Weiss and found her staring up at me. There was a fear in her eyes and she was scared. Scared like Cardin had been when I'd threatened to shoot him.

I stopped and looked at her, then back to Ruby and Yang. In the span of a minute I'd gone from apologetic, to threateningly aggressive.

'The fuck am I doing!?'

"… take a seat." I said, motioning to the bed where Ruby and Yang were.

Weiss blinked, pushing the fear down.

"… please." I asked, as calm as I could.

Shakily, she complied. I took a moment to breathe and find myself. They were kids. They were dumb, stupid, loud mouthed kids. And dammit, they were starting to rub off even more on me. I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what I was going to tell them.

"I'm going to tell you a story." I said, my voice coming out with a twinge of anger. I was pushing it down as hard as I could. "It's called the tale of the Burned Man."

Yang raised an eyebrow in confusion, Ruby and Weiss seemed to go rigid. Odd.

"Don't worry, for as menacing or scary as the name is, it's a bit different."

Gingerly, Ruby and Yang sat on the edge of the bed with Weiss. They looked a little uncomfortable about this, given how I was acting no more than five seconds ago. But I needed to say my piece.

"… Imagine, if you will, a world set ablaze."

I set the stage of the tale.

"A world, ravaged and burned by war. Society has collapsed, the remnants of it scattered to the wind by the people sworn to 'protecting' it. A world where humanity is on the brink of extinction and driving itself closer each day."

The girls looked at each other, not sure where I was going.

"What remains of humanity, exists in the form of tribal communities. Loose collections of people sustained by some core beliefs or bonds. Almost like… giant families, in a way. These families, they all struggle with one another. They struggle for food, for safety, for water, for land, they struggle because it's either them or the world. And the world has taken enough."

I paused, remembering where it goes next.

"One of these tribes, these families, is the tribe of the Mor-Mons from the land once known as Ogden. The Mor-Mons were a remnant of a different kind from before the war. They held the beliefs of a religion from before the war. One that preached of peace, and reserved violence as a measure for defense alone."

'Not entirely accurate for the Mormons, but these are the Mor-Mons. Completely different.'

"Within the Mor-Mons though, there lived a man. A man, named Joshua Graham."

The girls showed no reaction to the name, so much like everything else so far, no loss in translation.

"This man, Joshua, was a missionary. It was his duty to bring the word of his religion to all tribes who would hear it. Bring fellowship and brotherhood to a scattered and fragmented peoples… But there was more within Joshua. A burning flame that grew hotter with every passing day. A flame, Joshua believed, that demanded change. Violent, sudden, and brutal change."

A look of knowing seemed to pass over the girls, they seemed to be guessing where I was going.

"But Joshua, a man of rules and oath, stayed his hand, though he was a capable fighter. He had the heart of a warrior, but the temperance of a preacher… This changed the day his travels took him to the land of the Small spring. To the waiting number of the tribe known once as the Blackfoot. To the man… the demon in disguise, known as Edward Sallow, Caesar."

Pronounced properly, to make it sound more monstrous, more story like.

"Joshua, trapped in a land, far from home, surrounded by those who would do him wrong, was goaded into following the fire by Caesar. With Caesar to guide him and his skill to act, they cut a swath through the land of the Small Spring. Freed of restraint, Joshua adopted a new name. One gifted to him by Caesar: Malpais Legatus, envoy of the badlands."

The translation confused the girls, but better than having them think I was just making shit up on the fly.

"Together, Caesar and the Malpais slaughtered and plundered tribes. The Malpais incentivized by the thought of unification, of bringing peace to a hostile world. Never mind that to do so, they crushed everyone in it underfoot. Committing and allowing atrocities to occur that would shudder the mind of a saner being. Taking slaves, torturing innocents, murdering, burning, and destroying everything that rallied against them and their Legion."

My sight drifted to the floor. They'd done much worse than that, but I wasn't going to recount it here.

"Through it all, the Malpais fought, never slowing despite his wounds. Appearing an undying force of nature to all. The fires within: a raging inferno that let him survive it all. With time, their Legion grew with every tribe conquered. Soon, Caesar and the Malpais stood at the head of an army that near numbered the ones of old. They adopted the traits of ancient armies, their tactics, their weapons, everything. They sought to rebuild the world in the shape of one brought to ruin _Far_ before the war that ravaged their world. To do it, they needed a display. A show of might and strength to announce to the tribes of the world they would not be trifled with…"

I checked to see if they were still with me. They were showing more interest.

"… They found it in the form of a pre-war monument. One that brought great power to those who could wield it… But they were not alone in their desires. There existed another group in this world of ruin. Another tribe with the power to rival Caesar's Legion. And they had already laid claim to this monument."

"… What does any of this have to do with us?" Weiss asked, quietly, cautiously

"I'm getting there." I said, patiently "Now, Caesar and the Malpais saw this army before them and in their wisdom, saw fit to fight. The battle was long and hard fought. The bloodshed and loss on both sides could've painted the whole of the Moj- er- wasteland crimson red. But, in the end, Caesar and the Malpais failed. Forcing them into retreat."

I waited a moment.

"Failure, was not to be tolerated by Caesar. For his inability to snuff their enemy and claim the monument, Caesar ordered the Malpais executed. To be bound, covered in pitch, lit ablaze, and thrown into a canyon. For his failure, the Malpais would burn."

"This Caesar sounds like a hot head." I heard Yang say under her breath. I let it slide, it meant they were easing up.

"The execution succeeded. The Malpais did not survive the fall into the canyon… but Joshua Graham, wounded and penitent, did."

The three girls blinked. "How-" Ruby started. I shushed her.

"Having risen from the ashes of the Malpais, Joshua limped home. He traveled for weeks on end, hearing the tales of the Malpais and the Legion wherever he traveled. Hearing of the horror he had inflicted. He knew he would not be welcomed home a hero. How could someone who'd committed the atrocities he had ever be a hero?..."

Another break, to think and let it sink in.

"When Joshua returned to Ogden, he expected to be shunned. He expected to be stoned, to be burned, to be shot, and to receive any and all punishments for his actions. He knew he deserved them for what he'd done, for bringing shame to his tribe, to his family… but they never came."

I took a breath.

"They did not denounce or ridicule him. They did not stone him or decry him for his actions. They instead, welcomed him as a brother. They welcomed him as though he'd never left, or brought shame to them. For all the horrors he had seen and committed, they welcomed him openly and proudly. For them, their lost lamb had returned. They cared not what he'd done to get there."

"How!?" Weiss started again "How could they-"

I shushed her too.

"It was then that Joshua realized the true meaning of the fire within him. They were not the fires of war, the fires of violence and rage. The fires that had driven him to return to his people, no matter the cost, were different. They were the fires of love. The fire, born of the bonds of his tribe, his family… and his friends."

A look of understanding washed over the girls.

"From that day forward, Joshua Graham became known as the Burned Man. A testament to the fires that burned within him, that they were greater than those that could surround him. That for all the horror he committed, he could still make right for it."

I dropped the story-teller tone and looked at the girls.

"The tale of the Burned Man sounds ominous and threatening. In truth, there is plenty of that there. But more than that, it's a tale of redemption. Of learning when you've done wrong and striving to fix it. There's more to the story, but I'm not in the right mindset to talk about it right now."

"And this applies to Blake." Ruby said, a little confused "Because she's the burned man?"

"I wouldn't call her burned, but perhaps, yes."

"… Even after all he did… they still accepted him." Weiss said, looking at the floor

I sighed a little. "Weiss, I'm not saying you don't have a right to be suspicious. But Blake is your teammate, we're supposed to stick by one another. If you're going to throw each other to the wolves at the drop of a hat, how are you supposed to rely on one another?"

"… I don't know."

"Can I offer some advice then?" I asked honestly "Could you just hear Blake's side of the story? Hear what she has to say first, then decide if you can find it in you to forgive her. For all you know, she _is_ trying to make things right."

"… Fine." Weiss agreed softly "I'll hear what she has to say."

"That's all I'm asking."

"… I am not accepting your apology anymore though."

I looked at the white haired girl, she had this frustrated grimace on her face. Yang quirked up a smirk and Ruby let out a relieved sigh.

"Heh, Snowflake if that is the only thing you don't accept today, I think I'll live." I chuckled

A wave of calm washed over us, my outburst seeming as though it never happened.

…

We spent about an hour getting ready before we finally hit Vale. I'd needed to get breakfast and collect my armor. Despite my outburst, I wasn't dumb enough to think there wouldn't be trouble. There was _always_ trouble. Considering we were all visibly armed too, my teammates felt the same.

The streets of Vale were full of people. More travelers were arriving for the festival and shop owners were willing to take full advantage to hock their wares. Were we not pre-occupied with more important matters, I'd have stopped and bartered myself. But there was the matter of a certain missing faunus we needed to attend to.

"Blake!" Ruby called, like a girl looking for a missing pet "Blake!"

"Blake!" Yang followed

"Maybe you should yell louder." I say "Calling her like a lost pet's worked really well so far."

"We'd find her faster if you helped." Yang said pointedly

"I know, but yelling her name isn't going to help find her. She's obviously afraid of us, and if she knows we're looking for her she's going to hide harder."

"Yea, but I don't see you coming up with any better ideas."

"I'm working on it. Trying to track someone down without a place to start is tricky."

"… Why not use your scroll-thing?" Ruby said, looking to my arm "Can't it track things?"

"Yea, it can, but my pip-boy only tracks what it wants to and I have no clue what causes it to start. It just sort of happens at random most of the time."

"pip-boy?" Yang asked, looking at the hunk of steel on my arm.

"Yea, I didn't name it either."

"If it can track things, then let's just figure out how to make it track Blake." Weiss spoke up

"I just said I don't know how. This thing chooses when and where it wants to start tracking things and disregards my input."

"You make it sound like it's alive."

"Far as I know? It might actually _be_ , you might be surprised at how sentient some machines actually _are_."

"And I think Weiss's hair looks wonderful today!" A new voice chimed

The sudden appearance of a third party caused my teammates to leap out of their skin and turn to face our observer. I reacted by leaping to the side, turning, and preparing to draw on whoever had got the drop on us. I was met with the wide eyed exuberance that was Penny.

"AGH!" Ruby articulated "Penny, where'd you come from!?"

"Hey guys!" Penny said, completely ignoring the fact I had my hand on the grip of my pistol.

"Dammit Penny." I said, lowering my guard "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. It's rude."

"It is?" Penny asked innocently "I'm sorry, I was only trying to 'play around'"

I felt my hostility melt away almost immediately. Something about Penny told me she really hadn't meant any ill-will with it. Almost like a young child who was learning how to make friends. Penny was emitting what had to be the most honest and sincere air I'd ever seen, and I'd met Ruby. She was making my 'Rape, murder, steal' Gauge bottom out. Penny was dangerous for her own reasons

"R-right" I said "Don't worry about it."

Penny gave another innocent smile. "So, what are you up to?"

"We're looking for our friend, Blake" Yang supplied

Penny paused for a moment, processing. "… Oh! You mean the faunus girl!"

We all fell silent as we stared at the innocuous girl.

'… huh?'

"Wait… how did you know that?" Ruby asked

"Uh… the cat ears?" Penny said, as though it were obvious.

"What cat ears?" Yang asked "She wears… a… bow."

Silence fell on us again. From out of view, a tumbleweed rolled past us. I have no clue where it came from in a city largely filled with thriving plant life, but no one else was questioning it.

"… She does like tuna a lot." Ruby whispered

"So, where is she?" Penny continued

"No clue, it's why we're looking for her." I said "She ran off a few days ago and hasn't come back yet."

"That's terrible!" Penny gasped

"We know." Ruby said sadly "We were hoping to find her."

Penny walked up to Ruby and gripped her by the arms. She got _really_ close, apparently the term personal space was foreign to her.

"Well don't you worry Ruby my friend." Penny said confidently "I won't rest until I've helped you find your teammate."

"That- that's really sweet Penny." Ruby said with a pained expression. "But we- we're ok, right guys?"

Ruby turned to Weiss and Yang. They'd disappeared from where they'd been standing. A quick turn showed them briskly walking away from us. I closed the distance and clasped a hand down on both of their shoulders.

"Now girls." I said, rife with mock sincerity "I _know_ you weren't just planning to leave us behind, now were you?"

"W-what? _Nooo._ " Yang replied with the biggest shit eating grin I'd ever seen. "We just thought we could find Blake faster if we split up, right Weiss?"

"R-right" Weiss stammered

I could see they were silently pleading me not to drag the two of them into this. Penny was strange and they wanted nothing to do with that.

Tough, if I had to deal, so did they.

"Aw, no need to be like that." I say "I'm sure if we stick together, we can find Blake in no time."

Yang tried to worm away. "No, I'm _really_ sure-"

"Come on then."

I clamped down on them and half lead, half dragged them back to Ruby and Penny.

"Is everything alright?" Penny asked innocently

"Yea, these two just thought they saw something, right Yang?"

"… R-right, just thought we saw something."

"Oh, what was it?" Penny asked excitedly

"It was a- uh… a…"

"They thought they saw Blake." I supplied for them

"Yea, that's it." Yang immediately agreed.

I gave Ruby a small thumbs up and she gave me a thankful smile.

"What does this mean?" Penny asked, giving a thumbs up herself.

"It's a sign of friendship." I said

"Oh…"

Penny then repeated the gesture with both hands to all of us, this big dopey grin on her face.

"As fun as this is-" Weiss cut in, pinching the bridge of her nose "We need to find Blake, and we aren't likely to do that standing around here."

"Why not go to the police?" Penny asked

"I-it's not that serious." Ruby answered

"Yet." Weiss sighed

"We're hoping it doesn't come to that." I corrected

"Why?"

"Because Blake was keeping things from us." Weiss huffed

"We're worried she might not be who we thought she was." Ruby admitted sadly

Penny gasped and leaned towards the group a little.

"Is she a _man_?" Penny whispered

We _all_ gave penny a look at that question. She was being completely sincere with it. Yang was the first to cave and was stifling a laugh. Weiss was now rubbing her face in frustration and Ruby's face grew a shade red.

"N-no, Penny That's-" Ruby started

"Exactly right." I said jokingly "It turns out, after several months of living together, they only _just_ discovered that Blake is secretly a man."

My teammates and Penny stared at me. Penny in wide eyed wonderment and the rest in disbelief.

"Really?" Penny asked " _Amazing!_ I thought she was strange and assumed it was because she's a faunus."

"Nope. _Definitely a man_." I continued sarcastically.

"Wow~" Penny said

Yang started chuckling at the whole thing. Weiss's frustration seemed to be mounting and I could see Ruby was getting uncomfortable.

"Honestly, I'm surprised Yang never noticed, given how much time they've spent together."

"Who said I didn't?" Yang said with a cheeky smirk

"Oh ho ho!"

"Please stop." Ruby said "I feel like every time we do something you guys find a way to make it awkward."

"Hey, I'll take awkward over deadly serious any day." I admitted openly "In all seriousness though Penny, we're worried Blake _might_ have been part of the White Fang."

" _Ah!_ That's terrible!" Penny gasped

"Only depending on your religious and political leanings if you ask Blake."

"Well…" Penny said thoughtfully "I will still help you find her."

"That's sweet Penny. But we don't even have a place to start looking, the best we could do is wander around and hope we find her."

Penny looked to the pavement, perhaps thinking it over. Her head snapped up suddenly. "Why not look into the White Fang robberies then?"

"We just said we're trying to keep the police out of this." Yang chimed in

"Then why not investigate yourself? If Blake _is_ a member of the White Fang then maybe you will find clues that way."

"I don't know." Ruby said "From what it sounded like, Blake didn't think the White Fang were responsible."

"… Wouldn't that give her a reason to look though?" Yang asked

We all thought about that for a moment.

It just might. Blake seemed hell-bent on the idea that this couldn't be the White Fang's doing. So why wouldn't she go looking for some way to prove it? With all the robberies going on, there had to be some connection or thread between them. Something most of the cops wouldn't pick up on, given their investigatory skills didn't seem to extend beyond 'tag, bag, and forget'. If Blake was going to prove the White Fang wasn't involved, why not look into it herself?

"… You could be right." Ruby said "If Blake just wants to prove that the White Fang isn't responsible, Finding evidence would be the first place to start."

"But the question becomes, how does that help us?" I asked " _We_ still don't have a place to start…"

I felt the gears begin to turn in my head. Something about this seemed familiar and I was having trouble putting my finger on what.

"Investigate… dust… robberies…"

The gears clicked to a halt. I pulled up my pip-boy and clicked over to the data section.

"Everything ok Six?" Ruby asked

"I think I might have a solution."

"I thought you said that thing only worked when it wanted to?" Yang asked

"I did and it does… but-"

I looked into the quest section. At the top of the empty list a heading: _When The Dust Settles_.

Current objective: _Investigate the robberies occurring around Vale._

"… But sometimes, this thing can be helpful in ways you don't think about." I selected the objective and the map immediately updated. The compass gave me a heading and an idea was on its way. "… Heh, Penny you are a gem, you know that?"

"Really?" Penny asked confused "I thought I was a girl?"

"You're both." I smirked

"What's going on?" Ruby asked

"A while back this thing decided to start tracking an objective that'd have me investigating the robberies around Vale. I ignored it at the time because I didn't want to go looking for trouble."

"Wouldn't that be left to the police anyway?" Weiss asked

"Only if I didn't want the job done. Now I don't have a choice."

"Ok… so what now?"

"Now? Now, after about two months of procrastinating, it's time to take a look at the job. If Blake _is_ investigating the robberies then we should find her somewhere along the way."

"Alright." Yang said with a determined smile "Where do we start?"

…

We started by visiting this one store that got hit a few months back apparently, a place called 'From Dust 'till Dawn'. The owner wasn't opening the shop up for a few more weeks still but he was kind enough to let us look around. Most of his stock had been replenished by now, and the only thing he said was stolen was the dust. It wasn't much different than we'd heard, though he made mention of difficulty ordering a resupply from some company.

The next shop we hit said much the same. The same for the ones after that. This had been going on for months by this point and I should have figured the pip-boy would have me check as many as I needed until I figured something out. All the while though, we never saw Blake. Either she was playing it safe by avoiding the places the White Fang might've hit or was a step ahead herself. We'd walked the entirety of Vale before we finally hit almost every dust shop. They all had the same story.

Which raised a few alarms.

Whoever was doing this was clearly organized and adept at scheming. But they were proud and brash. It was the same every time, save for the occasional pile of bodies. Group of thugs comes in, clear out the store's stock, and hits the road. Not all of them said they were explicitly White Fang though, that was a more recent development. The older ones said they were guys in suits. Which was giving credence to the idea this might not be as clear cut as we thought, or as simple as the cops chose to peg it.

Despite this though, there was one detail all of the stores had in common that stuck out. Their re-supply times were falling around tonight. Supposedly there was supposed to be some big shipment coming in, get everyone restocked at once. The writing on the wall struck me as standard bandit tactics. Drive up the demand with seemingly small crimes, so when the resupply comes they can attack enmasse and steal everything wholesale. I'm surprised the authorities were so bad at their job they couldn't figure it out despite the literal dozens of robberies. The only excuse I could give them was the fact that most of them happened far enough apart so as not to arouse suspicion. I probably wouldn't have noticed either if I wasn't running through it rapid fire looking for Blake.

After spending a few hours running the city, we finally had an end goal. A shipment that large could only be brought in a few different ways. By airship or by sea, more specifically. Thing was though, the Vale airship terminals were public use, meaning there was no way to safely off load cargo. Which left only one option, a trip to the docks. By the time we got there, we'd managed to blow the entire day running around. But, given that the pip-boy had updated to point us there, we hadn't missed anything yet. The sun was starting to set and the smell of the ocean filled the air.

"Ugh." Ruby gagged "It smells like fish."

It wasn't the most pleasant thing. We were just outside the docks, stopped by a chain-link fence.

"Suck it up Ruby, if the steel block says this is the end of the road; then we stick here until we find Blake or get our next objective."

"You've had us traipse across Vale, just so we can sit at the docks?" Weiss huffed

"Again, not my call. Do you want to find Blake or not?"

"Of course I do. I'm just afraid of what she'll say when we find her."

"Don't worry, friend of Ruby: Weiss." Penny said with a warm, awkward innocence "I'm sure everything will turn out fine."

"R… right… What are you doing here again?"

"She promised to help Ruby" I reminded "She's free to tag along anyway. Just as long as she can keep out of trouble."

"I'm combat ready!" Penny piped in cheerfully

"Not the trouble I was referring to."

"What do we do now?" Yang asked "Because standing around probably isn't the best choice."

"We should find a vantage point and keep covered. Doesn't matter if we run into trouble or not, if we can keep the element of surprise on our side we'll be ready one way or the other."

"And if Blake is investigating-" Ruby picked up "We might find her doing the same."

"Bingo."

I looked to the rooftops of surrounding buildings and warehouses. Most of them were either too far or didn't provide much cover. Though there was one that was fairly obvious on the interior of the docks. It didn't have much aerial cover, but unless someone was looking you were likely to go unnoticed.

"Try up there." I motioned to the warehouse.

Ruby looked toward the large building. "That could work, but it's on the other side."

"So?" I mantled over the fence and landed on the other side. "If you're worried about a little trespassing you're never going to get anywhere."

Ruby gave Yang a concerned look. Yang replied with a smirk, shrug, and a hop over the fence herself.

"Wonderful" Weiss grumbled "Now we're breaking the law."

"Oh live a little snowflake. You want to find Blake or not?"

With a pout, Ruby and Weiss followed us over the Fence. Penny stared at us through the fence a worried look on her face.

'Don't mean to corrupt the innocent here, but we got work to do.'

"Come on Penny." I motioned "it's fun over here."

At the mention of fun, Penny brightened further and cleared the fence in a single leap. She didn't even touch the fence, she literally leapt over it without a second thought.

"… huh. Neat."

'Damn, Penny can jump.'

We walked over to the warehouse. The bay doors were closed and probably needed to be opened by some larger mechanism. Rather than do that, we snuck around the side and found a side door through an office. Which was locked.

"I got it." Yang said, cocking her fist back. I caught it and stopped her.

"Easy slugger, I'm not adding property damage to my list of crimes tonight."

"You got any better ideas?"

"Just hold up a second."

I slid a bobby pin from my pocket along with my small screwdriver. The door only had a deadbolt, so it wouldn't take long. I slid the pin and screwdriver into place and got to work.

"You know how to pick locks?" Weiss asked

" _Everyone_ in the Mojave knows how to pick locks… Pretty handy skill when you lock yourself out."

"There's no way it could be that sim-"

The deadbolt clicked and the door swung open. Weiss stared through the doorway.

"… wonderful, now we can add breaking and entering to the charges."

"Only if we get caught, ladies first."

We went into the warehouse and I shut the door behind us. There didn't seem to be any workers around, but the less attention we drew the better. The warehouse was filled with crates of indeterminate contents. There was some machinery lying around too, mostly forklifts and hand dollies. We found a stairwell and made our way to the roof.

"So what's the plan now?" Weiss asked "We just wait?"

"I guess." Ruby answered "If this helps us find Blake, then it's what we have to do."

"We'll only be here until either the White Fang show up or Blake does." I answer "worst case, we're here 'till the last airship and have to leave then. This whole thing's a shot in the dark anyway."

We pushed open a door and prepared to walk out onto the rooftop. We stopped short though, when we found we weren't alone. Lying on her their stomachs at the edge of the roof were a familiar black clad girl and a boy with a monkey's tale. The instant the door opened, Blake flipped over enough to see us all walk through.

"Blake!" Yang exclaimed, preparing to rush over to her. I stopped her with an arm. "Hey!"

I studied Blake carefully. She had the look to her like she'd spring up and run at a moment's notice. A wild eyed fear that you get when trust is in dangerously short supply. Last thing we needed after spending the day looking for her was to have her run off. This needed to be handled with more caution than just running up to her and scaring her.

"You!" Weiss snapped

'oh no.'

Weiss skirted past me before I could stop her. Blake scrambled to her feet but was met with an angry snowflake before she could do much else.

"Listen-" Blake started "I know I should've-"

"Stop." Weiss hissed

Blake complied.

"Do you have… _any_ idea what we had to do to find you?"

"…huh?"

Weiss shot an accusatory finger back at me. "Because of you, we've been stuck following _him_ around for the past twelve hours. Do you have any idea how _terrible_ his sense of direction is!? We spent over three hours alone walking dead end back alleys because he thought they were 'short-cuts'!"

"In my defense." I retorted "Some of them were"

"Quiet!" Weiss hissed at me, before turning back to Blake. "After all we had to go through to find you, there's only one thing I want."

Weiss put both of her hands on Blake's shoulders. The newly revealed faunus went wide eyed. Her back was facing the edge of the roof, now more than a few feet away. No doubt she was worried about Weiss demonstrating the painful effects gravity can have on the mortal frame.

"H-hey-" Monkey boy said "Just hold on-"

Weiss Pushed Blake, just hard enough so she would sit down.

"I want you to explain everything, _now_." Weiss said angrily

Blake blinked and stared at Weiss as she took a few steps back and sat on the roof in front of her.

"… huh?" Blake reiterated

Weiss sighed "I promised to hear your side of things before passing judgement. After all we went through to find you, I almost don't care anymore. So spill, I'm waiting."

Blake stared wide eyed at Weiss, clearly taken aback by the change of heart.

"… Same here." I agreed taking a seat next to Weiss. "Let's see what wisdom you can pass to us."

We were soon joined by Ruby, Yang, and Penny. Blake stared awkwardly at Penny for a moment. Then she extended that look to the rest of us.

"… Well?" Weiss asked "We're waiting."

Monkey boy sat up and faced all of us. He gave Blake a pat on the shoulder for encouragement and she took a deep breath.

"Where should I start?"

…

Blake gave us the redacted version of things. She told us about how she came to be a part of the White Fang. How they weren't always a group of fanatical nut jobs, but were once a peaceful religious organization. How she'd been with them since childhood and had been around for every rally. Trying to find a peaceful way to get the faunus to be respected. How she had joined up when things started turning violent, thinking it would earn that respect faster. How instead, it only made them more feared and reviled. All of it culminating in her realizing it wasn't right and choosing to leave the White Fang instead of continue with it. How she, instead, chose to take her skills and use them for something that would benefit everyone, becoming a huntress.

When she finished she looked to the roof, chastised and fearful. With good reason. She'd laid all of her cards on the table just now and was worried what our reactions would be.

"That's… um… wow." Yang said

"No kidding." I agreed

"And here I am, hiding in plain sight with the help of a little black bow."

Blake's bow twitched back and forth. Something small clicked in my head.

"Oh! So that's why it always looked like it was moving."

Blake gave a bitter chuckle. "So. What happens now?"

"Now?" Weiss asked "Now… I don't care."

Blake looked up at Weiss, the surprise clear on her face.

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"N-no, I haven't been since-"

"Then I don't care." Weiss interrupted "That's not who you are _now_. All I want now, is to know that when something like this comes up, you'll come to us and not some…"

Weiss gave monkey boy a glare. During her explanation, he'd been introduced as Sun Wukong.

"… Someone else."

Blake looked at the five of us. For the first time in memory since we'd all met, she smiled. It was small and sad, but there was a happiness to it.

"Of course." Blake answered

Now it was snowflake's turn to smile. Today was just full of surprises.

"… Yeah!" Ruby shouted exuberantly "Team RWBY is back together!"

"Hooray." I said flatly, twirling my finger in the air

"Now it's your turn." Weiss said, turning to me.

"My turn?"

"Yes. I believe you owe Blake an apology."

"An apology? what for? I haven't done anything worth regretting yet."

"You called the organization she grew up with the _literal_ devil. I'm pretty sure that qualifies."

"Given there's nothing to disprove that yet, I'm not apologizing."

The goodwill Weiss built crumbled in the face of my obstinance.

"Six~" Ruby whined "We just patched things up, can't you just apologize?"

"No. Fact of the matter is, even if Blake isn't the problem, that doesn't mean the White Fang aren't. Especially when one of their members just admitted that they were a potential problem."

Blake glared at me, a little hurt. Her gaze shifted back to the roof.

"… Let me ask you something Blake. Do you think the White Fang is responsible for these robberies, and the murders that have come with them?"

"… No." Blake answered "Even after everything they've done. The White Fang would never resort to something like this."

"And there's the reason I won't apologize. In the end, you still believe the White Fang is innocent despite the evidence."

Blake continued to stare at the floor, pained. Sun started scowling at me, I could feel the rest of my team too. I think the only one who wasn't was Penny.

"… So how do you want to prove it?"

I felt the hostility start to melt away.

"… What?" Blake asked

"The White Fang, how do you want to prove they're innocent?"

Blake looked up from the roof and back to me.

"You said you don't want to believe it. Instead, you've come to the place most likely to be their next target. I'm guessing you're hoping that if you catch whoever is doing it, it'll give you some kind of closure, right?"

Blake stared at me for a moment, then nodded.

"So. Just to prove they aren't the villains everyone thinks they are, you're willing to risk your personal safety. Potentially getting yourself killed, just to prove they aren't responsible… you honestly believe it isn't them?"

Blake nodded again.

"… Aight, I'm in."

"… what?" Blake asked

"I'm in. You want to prove me wrong? I'll gladly help you do it."

"You're changing your mind just like that?"

"No, but I'll listen to reason. I owe you a favor after all, so why not spend it having me prove myself wrong? Kind of like a karmic retribution or something."

"You'd… you'd do that?"

"Well why not? You're my teammate, why shouldn't I want to believe you?"

Everyone stared at me for a moment. Apparently they thought I wasn't willing to be proven wrong. Which is odd, you'd think I'd have given them a reason not to believe me.

"… ok." Blake said, a determined gleam in her golden eyes "As a favor, I want you to prove yourself wrong."

"Consider it done."

Before the words even left my mouth a tell tale grinding emanated from my pip-boy. Everyone took note of it.

I raised the block of steel up and scrolled through to the Data section. There was a new quest on the list.

 _What's New Pussy Cat_

\- _Prove yourself wrong._

"Amazing!" Penny gasped over my shoulder

"If you think that's cool, it's also got radio."

I turned on the tunes and looked out over the Docks. The sun was still setting and things were still quiet. Only a little while longer 'till that changed, I could feel it. Nothing to do until then but kill time.

"So" I started "Anyone know any good stories?"

* * *

 **Full disclosure: This was originally supposed to be the volume finale chapter. Except by the time I reached this point, I'd already hit my personal page limit and felt continuing the chapter as is would get a bit long and be confusing. So instead, I cut it here and will upload the rest as the next chapter. Or maybe I'll just edit this one so they are one giant chapter ion the end. Either way, don't know if this was really necessary, but I felt like sharing :P**

 **Also, I changed the name of the previous chapter, I felt it was a bit misleading.**

 **"quarttzblade12": (1). If I get that far? probably. (2). There does come a point when knowing something goes beyond education. It's awkward enough having to ask questions that are fairly standard without having to ask questions that are basically common knowledge. Maybe Jaune didn't know what Aura was starting out, given it's something most people might not necessarily need, but Dust is a whole different matter.**

 **"Guest": I don't think Six has the luck to get the stranger in the Mojave, let alone across time and space.**

 **"Voidmeister": Nope. But he might freak a little anyway, who knows?**

 **"Lt. Frostdromeda": If I get that far, maybe. Sensing a pattern? Really I leave a lot of this stuff up to 'If I somehow find the drive to do it, I will'. Sorry :P.**

 **"Maddax": Well, that's a shame. Even if you don't come back to read, I do appreciate the review. I do try to look out for ways I can do better in the future. Because, while I do want to tell a certain story, I can only do it better by recognizing when I could have. I doubt I'll ever "rewrite" this though. If anything I'll just go back and make edits to make things a bit more smooth. Regardless, even if you never see this, I do appreciate it.**

 **I think this is where I'll call it for now. As usual: all thoughts, comments, reviews, ramblings, jokes, and general mayhem are welcome.**

 **This fanfic was brought to you by The Schnee Dust Company. Dust so fine, you'll be doing it by the line.**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	15. V1 Finale P2: Fight in the Fang

We sat on the roof and watched the sunset as our little cadre of teenage runaways, strays, and weirdos told stories. We took turns keeping watch, figuring that if and when somebody made a move, we'd hear it. The sun faded and a fog rolled in over the docks. Dusk hadn't quite turned the docks into an ink black swamp yet. But that might've just been the nightvision built into my helmet. We were all sitting in a circle, listening to the radio and chatting. Penny was sitting next to me, bopping her head to the tune of the music. Yang and Ruby to my right, Weiss was on watch, and Blake and Sun were across from me.

"So that's when I dove into the cab, told Nep to floor it, and we were gone." Sun smirked

"Heh. That's one way to do it." I chuckled "I'm honestly surprised you managed to out run the cops."

"What do you take me for?" Sun said with a smirk "After that, I wandered around Beacon and bumped into Blake. Then we just spent the weekend hanging out and plotting to catch the thieves.

"Sounds like fun" Yang said with a cheeky smirk. "Bet you two got _real_ chummy."

"Pff, hardly. She wouldn't say a word to me until this morning."

"Aww, with the way you two seem to be getting along I'd have thought you'd have gotten up to some _monkey_ business."

Yang gave a pleased smile. Everyone else present glared at her.

"… That's terrible Yang." I responded

"What did she do?" Penny asked

"She made a pun, a terrible one."

"Oh…"

'must… fight… the urge…'

"… Besides, I think Blake's a bit too _catty_ for that." I said

My face fell into my hands. That was terrible. The glares everyone gave me made it clear. Yang gave me an even bigger smile and snapped her fingers at me.

"I hate you so much." I growled

"Aww, don't be like that. I can't be the only one to make the jokes around here."

"They're not jokes, they're a play on words and I hate it."

"Moving on." Sun said, trying to bury the puns. "What's your deal? I thought teams were only supposed to get four people."

"Well, you're not wrong." Weiss grumbled

"Six is… odd." Ruby explained

"No kidding." Sun chuckled

"He got placed with us after initiation because he wasn't able to partner or team up with anyone…"

Ruby paused for a moment and started thinking.

"Come to think of it, why _did_ you wind up with us?" Blake asked

"I tried to avoid teaming with anyone and got shackled with the people I had an 'affinity' for as a result."

"Oh yeah." Ruby said "You did say something about that."

" _You_ had an 'affinity' for us?" Weiss asked

"Apparently." I shrugged "Ozpin probably noticed that I was willing to risk my life to keep at least two of you alive and decided it was good enough."

"Huh. So you're like an extra then?" Sun asked

"Basically. He stuck me with them until we could find a team for me, or something. Been stuck with them since."

"I bet that's been fun." Sun smirked "Cramped space, four girls, one g-"

Blake elbowed Sun in the ribs.

"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked, confused "Six has been spending the past few months in a closet down the hall."

Sun looked at Ruby, then back to me. "Seriously? You'd pass up an opportunity to- ow!"

Blake elbowed Sun again.

"To what?" Ruby asked innocently

"You'll understand when you're older." Yang clarified

Ruby looked confused.

"Psh, I've got more class than that, Monkey boy."

'That, and I'm pretty sure at least one of them would blind me for it. Not that I'd try anyway, that's just creepy for someone my age.'

Penny looked at Blake and Sun for a moment. "I'm confused."

"About?"

"Why Blake keeps hitting Sun."

'… hmmm'

"Well you see Penny." I explain "When two people like each other, _romantically_ , one of them will make some form of physical gesture to do it."

Blake was mid-way into elbowing Sun again when I made my explanation. She stopped, wide eyed.

"Are Blake and Sun… dating?"

"I suppose that depends on what it means to 'hit on' someone."

Blake and Sun's face turned a shade red and they scooted apart a bit further.

"No, we're not, we only just met." Blake clarified

"Then why do they keep insinuating that you are?"

"It's part of the joke Penny." I clarified "You know what jokes are, right?"

"I know the definition…" Penny went silent for a moment "… Does that mean Sun doesn't like men?"

"W-What!?" Sun burst out, practically falling backwards "N-No! Why would I like guys!?"

"But… isn't Blake a man?"

Everyone stared in stunned silence at the innocent girl sitting next to me.

"I- I am not a man!" Blake said, a visible blush on her face.

"Really?" Penny continued, thoroughly confused "But Six said you were."

"It was a joke!" I shouted "I was kidding!"

"Oh…"

Penny proceeded to burst out laughing, like it was the first actual joke she'd ever heard. Everyone looked back and forth between me and her. I noticed Blake was giving me an embarrassed glare. I gave a laugh of my own. Soon Yang and Ruby crumbled too.

"Heh he he… You're a bit odd, you know that Penny?" I finally got out

Penny's laughter died down and she looked at us. She seemed a bit sad. "Papa doesn't let me walk around on my own very often." Penny admitted sadly "This is the longest I've spent with a group of friends."

"… do you have many of those?" I asked

Penny looked sadly to the floor.

"Ah, sorry Penny."

"It's ok. Papa says I'm not ready anyway."

"Not ready? I thought you were supposed to be 'combat ready'?"

"I am, but Papa doesn't want me to go outside alone."

"Then what are you doing here right now?" Yang asked

"I… sometimes sneak out."

'Ooh watch out, girl's got a wild streak'

Penny looked at all of us, a soft light in her eyes. "I've always wanted to hang out with friends, see a movie, talk about boys, or go to the park even. But Papa always said I wasn't ready."

"You've never been to a park?" I asked

She shook her head.

"Heh. Guess that makes two of us."

"You've never been to a park?" Sun and Penny asked in stereo

"Nope, Mojave doesn't have a lot of room for things like that."

"… The where?" Sun asked

'… aw crap.'

"My home, don't feel like talking about it, sorry." I summarized "The point is I've never been to a park either. I heard they were supposed to be beautiful."

The closest I'd probably ever been to an _actual_ park was Zion, and it stopped counting several hundred years ago. When people started shooting each other and the bombs fell.

"… You know what?" I say "How about the next time we meet up, we go find one instead of tracking down thieves. Sound good Penny?"

"Sensational!" Penny exclaimed

"… Heh." Sun chuckled "You know, you look scary, but you're actually a big softy underneath all that scary armor."

"Watch it monkey boy." I growl "You still owe me dry cleaning for pushing me in the mud."

"Ah heh" Sun rubbed the back of his head "R-right… come to think of it, why _are_ you wearing armor?"

"Because I want to survive getting shot?" I asked rhetorically

"Why not just use your aura?"

'… Aura can block _bullets_!?'

"Six's aura is pretty weak." Yang admitted with a chuckle "We've found that much out."

"Y…yeah. Totally. Wish it hadn't taken breaking a wall to find out."

Sun looked at me strange.

"… Yang punched me through a wall." I supplied

"Oh. Ouch."

I nodded sagely.

"I thought you wore armor because you don't have an aura." Penny said innocently

Present company stared at Penny in confusion, I stared in anxious silence. I had no clue how she'd figured that out.

"Wha-"

Before any of us could ask questions the high pitched whine of turbines pierced the night air. One of the vertibird-like vehicles that regularly patrolled the skies over Vale roared past us over head. It quickly decelerated as it arced its way to the yard. I got the distinct impression they weren't here to change shifts.

'Not the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves, these guys.'

I turned off my radio and We moved to the edge of the roof to observe the new party. The craft touched down and a group of men disembarked. They were dressed in a form of robes. They looked to have been cut down for ease of movment, in a way that reminded me of Ren's clothing. Though more simplified and less ornate. They all wore a mask that obscured the upper portions of their face and connected to a large hood to form a cowl.

"Is that them?" I heard Sun ask

The group began to disperse around the yard, collecting equipment. Each of them bore an insignia on the backs of their robes. The visage of an enraged yao guai, or rather an ursa, stained crimson red and scored with three claw marks. My memory wasn't the best, but I recognized the symbol from Oobleck's lectures and the occasional news story.

"Yes." Blake said sadly "It's them."

A pair of the men wandered off a distance. They returned with a thick metal cable.

"I'm sorry Blake." Yang said, patting Blake on the Back.

Blake stared forlornly at the White Fang.

"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?" Sun asked

"… no" Blake said "I think, deep down, I knew. I just didn't want to be right."

"Considering you were practically raised by these people, why would you?" I asked

Turns out, things were just that clear cut. The White Fang was stealing the dust, for whatever reason, and we'd caught them red handed. All I needed to wait for now was the pip-boy to cancel out the quest. No sense for it to keep track of something I couldn't feasibly accom-

"Hey! What's the hold up?" A voice echoed from the yard.

I snapped my attention back to the yard. My current comrades seemed to hear it too, as they did the same. In the yard, a sharp dressed man in a bowler hat descended the walkway of the aircraft.

"We're not exactly low profile here." The man snipped "So, if you animals wouldn't mind moving along?"

The white Fang stared at the man for a moment. Then, rather than shooting him for insulting them, they actually complied and began to work faster.

"That's that Torchwick guy!" Ruby exclaimed

I recognized him now, he was the dumbass that tried to use me as a meat shield when I first got here.

'I feel like things just got a bit more complicated.'

"This isn't right." Blake growled, drawing her weapon "The White Fang would _never_ work with a human. Especially not one like that."

"Alright, then we'll approach this tactically." I said, surveying the docks and figuring out where best to position myself. "We've got a small window to think, we need to do this-"

Blake jumped off the roof without a second thought.

"-Rationally…" I finished.

"Blake, Hold up!" Yang shouted, diving off the roof after her. Ruby and Weiss soon followed suit. I only managed to look to Sun as he shrugged and dove off the roof himself.

'What is it with these people and jumping off of high places?'

I turned around and made a bee-line for the stairwell. I stopped when I realized Penny was still here. She was looking like a new born puppy that had stumbled onto its older siblings playing. Confused and not sure what to do next, but looking to get involved all the same.

"Penny, do me a favor and stay up here." I said walking past her.

"But I can help!" Penny said, following after me "I'm-"

"Combat ready, yeah, yeah. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're unarmed and unarmored. If this is going the way I think it is, I'd rather have you _not_ get blown to pieces."

"I am more than capable of defending myself." Penny said innocently "In fact, without an aura, you stand a much higher chance of being hurt than me."

I turned and looked at the girl. "I don't know how you know about that, but what I do or do not lack is not your concern. Even if I don't have an 'aura' I'm still more than capable of handling whatever they're capable of giving. _I'm_ a seasoned fighter and survivor, you're a teenage girl in a dress."

Penny continued to stare at me, unfazed. I ignored her and ran into the stairwell. My hand flitted over my weapons as I descended. My cattle prod on my left hip and That Gun on my right. Of all the weapons I could've brought, I'd come down on that being one of them. It was a better balance of things while still keeping me with ammo on hand. I just wish I hadn't needed to use it. The fact that I'd brought it meant I had a feeling where tonight was heading. I'd wanted to avoid having to use it, given I wasn't sure what we'd find Blake doing. Even then I wished I was wrong. I clambered down into the warehouse and dove into stealth mode as things began to unfold. In the time it had taken me to get down here, Blake had made herself known and was holding Torchwick from behind with a sword on his throat. The White Fang had taken notice and had readied their swords and rifles. I could see Yang positioned behind a nearby container, so the others were likely doing the same. Blake removed her ribbon with a flourish, revealing a small set of cat-like ears perched atop her head.

"Brothers of the White Fang!" Blake shouted "Why are you aiding this scum!?"

The White Fang members looked to one another, lowering their weapons slightly in confusion.

"Ho oh, kid." Torchwick snickered "Didn't you get the memo?"

"What are you talking about?" Blake growled

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together."

I pulled up alongside a container and readied myself. I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation."

Torchwick snickered "I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation."

The high pitched whine of turbines filled the air and the wind kicked up, scattering dirt and stone. Overhead, a pair of the aircraft circled in low, hovering and pointing themselves at Blake.

"Now would be nice, Neo!" Torchwick shouted over the whine of the aircraft.

With a bang, a woman sprang from atop the container I was using for cover. It was hard to call her a woman, considering she was shorter than Ruby. But if the way she was dressed was any indicator, she was either the tiniest woman I've ever seen or a malnourished teenage. Either was possible. Her hair was split in twain with color, one half a deep and rich brown while the other a pale and eye-catching pink. Her skin was pale and creamy, her eyes a heterochromatic mess of brown and pink, and her mouth and nose small to match the rest of her. She was dressed in finery that'd probably give Weiss a run for her money. She might not have looked out of place in a pre-war shopping catalogue. High heeled boots that reached to her knees, attire that wouldn't be out of place in a business conference, and dainty gloves complete with what appeared to be an umbrella. Or, rather, a parasol.

The pink and white eyesore sprang from the container. Torchwick didn't move at all, which allowed the intruder to kick Blake in the face like it was the most natural thing in the world. The blade fell from Torchwick's throat and he made a short escape a few yards away. The intruder, Neo, joined him with a smug look on her face that I felt a burning desire to remove.

"Well~ that was an enjoyable little distraction." Torchwick smirked "But I'm afraid I have some pertinent business to attend to, so be a good little pest-"

Torchwick raised his cane.

"-and _fuck off_."

Muscle memory kicked in quick enough. I sprang out, pulled That Gun from my hip and dove into VATs. The world slowed to a crawl and the hardware let me judge my odds. I could take a shot at Torchwick and Neo, but there was a chance the bullets wouldn't be enough. Even if they were, I knew more than a fair share of times one shot to the dome wasn't enough. Which meant neutralizing them before they got a clean hit on Blake was a crapshot.

So I took the hit from them.

With a practiced hand, I cracked off two shots. One for Torchwick's cane and the other for the arm attached to it. The one aimed at the Cane was high, I watched sparks dance off it as the bullet nicked the cane. The one on his arm hit true though, even if it didn't leave a bleeding hole, it hit. Time sped back to normal and I watched as Torchwick's aim skewed wildly. His cane jerked to the side as the projectile was loosed. It landed amongst some members of the White Fang and exploded, scattering them.

"OW!" Torchwick shouted "What the he-"

"Language!" I shouted, firing a round at Torchwick's head. It collided with and stumbled him. But if it did anymore, he shrugged it off. I had my answer now: Whatever aura was, it could stop bullets.

Almost as if that was the cue, my teammates leapt from the shadows. Yang skirted across the ground like a ball of fire, firing rounds from her gauntlets at the White Fang, buying more room. Weiss elegantly glided from the shadows, sword at the ready like a menacing toothpick. Ruby leapt over the container behind us, Crescent rose open and ready as she buried the tip into the ground. I leapt to a spot amongst them and took aim at Torchwick. A none too bright decision on my part, given there were currently heavy machineguns trained on us. But I was visible now, so might as well play it up.

Torchwick recomposed himself and focused on us. Neo seemed initially stunned by our sudden appearance, now she just seemed amused by Torchwick's floundering to right himself.

"… Well well, we really need to stop meeting like this, Red." He growled, focusing on Ruby. "Isn't it past your bedtime anyway?"

Bay doors opened on both of the aircraft and more White Fang members leapt out into the air. They hit the ground with a roll, springing into action with weapons drawn. A smattering of assault rifles, pistols, and swords. None matching any model I could be familiar with, but the near identical appearance of the rifles and their numbers meant they were most likely mass produced. Meaning they were likely similar to the service rifles the NCR used. Low power, but enough of them meant trouble. Same for the swords and pistols. All of them were trained on us

'Really wish I could say I wasn't used to this situation.'

"I don't know what you're doing Torchwick." Ruby said confidently "But I won't let you hurt Blake."

"Yea." I growled "Leave kitten out of this."

My teammates spared me a sideways glance before focusing on the troubles in front of us.

"That's cute." Torchwick sneered "… who are you again?"

"The-"

"Actually, you know what?" Torchwick chuckled "I don't care. You animals gonna take care of this?"

Hatches at the front of the crafts extended, revealing pairs of what appeared to heavy machine guns.

"Oh shit!" I shouted

I dove out of the way an instant before the bullets started flying. I could feel the white hot sparks of lead meeting steel at the speed of sound as the choir of gunfire sang. I dipped into VATs long enough to ensure my teammates hadn't stayed still. They were smart enough to move, but not smart enough to keep from scattering. Yang had dove headlong at Torchwick and Neo. Weiss had used her glyphs to get herself out of range, charging with Ruby. Ruby was flying towards a crowd of White fang, the muzzle flash from her scythe frozen in the air as she accelerated a swing. Blake was frozen mid jump as her weapon hooked outward on a ribbon. If they were intending to fight, they needed to do so on a united front. Having everyone fly off wasn't going to help.

I slipped out of VATs as the White Fang intervened, firing their assault rifles and pistols wildly. Bullets filled the air like angry lead cazadors, hitting and penetrating shipping containers and people alike. Clearly, none of them had received any marksman training. Given that any people they did hit were their own and it seemed they had little idea how to properly aim. They were relying on the idea of 'if we shoot enough we'll hit something.'

I promptly felt a bullet tear through my lower left calf.

"SON OF A WHORE!"

I let my momentum carry me forward and out of the open. My leg felt like it was on fire and pain was searing through it. I spared a glance down at my leg and noticed the blood was beginning to well out. For all the plating my armor had, they'd never bothered to cover the backs of the legs. Though I doubt when they designed it, they intended for the wearer to get shot in the back of the leg on a time travelling journey gone awry. If I'd gone with one of the heavier models, it might've stopped it.

I unlatched one of the belts clasped around my waist and did my best to improvise a tourniquet. Not too smart in my present situation, considering if I didn't find a better solution I'd lose my leg. But it was either that or deal with the blood loss. Even with the tourniquet applied the wound was still weeping. Better that then getting light headed now though. Only plus I could see was that the bullet seemed to have gone clean through, so I wouldn't have to dig it out later.

I reloaded my pistol and focused on the fight occurring beyond my cover. I could hear plenty of gunfire and shouting, most of it from my teammates. Which meant the White Fang likely weren't any more trained than your garden variety raider or legionnaire at best. But they had a major unknown over me: aura. I was going to assume that Torchwick had it, and was the only reason I hadn't perforated his arm and head. Which meant that I had no clue how much punishment _anyone_ present could take. My current weapon, That Gun, wasn't a slouch. It could punch a hole into just about anything, and pretty much had by this point. I'd figured it was time to bring it out, being better balanced than my experiences with other firearms so far. Only _now_ did I learn people could apparently shrug off getting shot in the head with a five-five-six round.

"Alright, time for a stress test then." I growled.

The cylinder snapped shut automatically and I leapt from cover. My leg throbbed and I fought to ignore it. The docks had turned into a battleground. Yang had lost Torchwick at somepoint and was brawling with Neo. That parasol she'd been holding was apparently magic, because it was shrugging off the blasts from Yang's fist like it was shedding rain. Ruby was waylaid into the crowd of White Fang, a spinning crimson tornado of gunfire and blades. I watched as White Fang went flying left and right, all in one piece. Which wasn't giving me high hopes. Weiss had redirected herself, the glyphs she spawned launched her like a bullet as she zipped around. Only stopping occasionally to parry the unprepared and incapacitating them. Blake had focused herself on Torchwick. She popped in and out of existence with what looked to be clones of herself as she fought with a ferocity I would've expected from Yang.

'The hell?'

"Over there!" I heard a voice shout.

I had only a second to register that the White Fang had taken notice of me. Then more gunfire was directed my way. It was a group of them, easily ten. Two of them opened fire with assault rifles as I slipped into VATs. I wasn't going to outrun bullets, but I could make a window. I gave each of the riflemen a shot to the chest. If they hadn't been poor shots the bullets I heard whiz past as I slipped back to reality would've nailed me. The two riflemen slammed backwards as the bullets hit their mark. I took the opportunity and continued shooting. That Gun bucked violent as I cracked off another three shots at the riflemen. The stumble turned into a fall. I could see the rest of the White Fang were armed with pistols. Except for one, who was wielding two swords and holding a stance like it made him look intimidating.

The White Fang returned fire but I was already limping away. I wasn't an idiot. These guys wanted me dead and seemed pretty intent to make it happen. If I stood still, they'd make it. I couldn't run with my leg how it was, even hobbling as I was I knew it wouldn't be able to keep the tourniquet stable and if I made it too tight I'd lose the leg entirely.

I could hear my teammates fighting all around me. I didn't have the luxury to stop and gawk. I just moved, if I stayed still now I was done. I reloaded That Gun as I hobbled, bobbing and weaving every chance I could to make sure the White Fang chasing me couldn't get a clear shot.

I dipped around a corner and narrowly avoided eating the butt of an assault rifle. It just narrowly scraped against the side of my mask. The White Fang holding it realized a moment too late he missed and tried to pull his gun down to shoot me. I whipped out my cattle prod and jammed it into his throat. He let out a strangled yelp before I punched him where his nose would be behind the mask. He recoiled and I followed with a punch to the sternum. He tripped and hit the ground.

I could hear the footsteps behind me and made a snap decision. I grabbed the downed White Fang, hauled him to his feet, and pulled him in front of me with That Gun against his head. His friends came barreling around the corner in time for me to turn around. They stopped in their tracks and took aim. The dumbass I was holding got coherent as I slowly forced the two of us backwards.

"Get the fuck back!" I shouted, finger tight on the trigger "make a move and I'll turn these containers red!"

The White Fang looked at one another. I took the chance to figure out what to do. My leg was slowing me down, I was out numbered, out gunned, and if the warm feeling trickling down the lower part of my leg was an indicator I was also bleeding out. Just what I needed, a time limit. My eyes scanned our surroundings quickly. I needed every advantage I could get my hands on. Starting with getting myself out of the open. I only got a good look at the warehouse we came out of.

Then the White Fang opened fire.

I felt the bullets hit the guy I was holding and heard him scream. Then something in him broke and the bullets tore him apart. I felt several of them hit my armor, they hurt but they'd lost speed on my former shield.

I didn't wait for that to change. I threw the former White Fang forward and bolted into the warehouse. The warehouse was almost pitch black without my helmet. The dusk robbing it of any natural light. I stumbled amongst the containers and shelving. Trying to get to cover before my pursuers chased after me.

'They fucking shot him.' Was the only thing I could think 'They shot their own teammate to death just to get to me.'

I collapsed behind a crate. My breathing erratic from the running and wounds. My leg was throbbing, my chest was aching, my lungs felt bruised, and my pipboy said I was a quarter dead. That might've had more to do with the blood loss than anything though. I was in pain, but at least I was coherent enough to do something about it.

At that thought, I tended to my leg again. I pulled the belt a smidge tighter, there was a fine line I had to watch. Too far and I _would_ lose my leg. Which was a situation I really wanted to avoid. Only then did I notice the trail of blood I'd left while hobbling into here.

'Perfect, just what I needed.'

The sound of a door slamming open alerted me to my attacker's arrival. There was a quick barrage of foot falls as they rushed in. They teetered to a halt as they didn't immediately know where I was hiding.

"Spread out." I heard one of them growl.

The foot falls dispersed as they searched. Likely fanning out to find me faster. They thought they had the advantage. They were right. They had the numbers. They had the weapons, even if they lacked the training. They even had aura, which meant bullets weren't as lethal to them as they were me. The only thing I might've had over them was nightvision. But even that I wasn't sure on at this point. I was pretty sure I'd read something about Faunus' darkvision somewhere.

I didn't wait for them to find me. It wouldn't take long if I was leaking liquid like a busted bottle of whiskey. I kept in stealth mode and pushed forward into the warehouse. It was a giant maze of shelves and boxes. If I'd tied my leg off better, I might've been able to keep them busy longer. But all it was going to take was them finding my blood and-

"… Eyes open!" A White Fang shouted behind me "He's bleeding, he's not leaving this warehouse."

I heard the footsteps begin to congregate and move faster behind me. They had my trail now. I picked up the pace, but with my leg: I wasn't running. They were getting closer with each second. I could hear them just behind me. A mingled symphony of loose metal buckles and rubbing cloth. They were picking up the pace.

I found myself at the back of the warehouse in a matter of seconds. Only the stairwell to the roof ahead of me and death at my heels. I wouldn't scale the stairs before they arrived, even if I did they'd have me cornered. I didn't have many options, my only viable one was hiding.

So I did. I squeezed myself between a shelf and the warehouse wall, making sure my tourniquet was bound tight. One wrong move and they'd see me. I held my breath and stayed still. If their senses were sharper than the average human's, I didn't know how much they'd notice. I stayed still in the darkness, hearing the hammering of my own heart and the faint footsteps of searching White Fang. I heard the sound of a rifle shifting in hands. The footsteps drew closer to the back walls. I gripped That Gun a little tighter and flicked the setting on my cattle prod to maximum. I could hear the housing begin to hum.

The ten White Fang converged, four immediately in front of the stairwell and three on either side. Betwixt crates containers and shelves of cargo. Their weapons were trained on the corridor. Not a one of them showing restraint. If they saw me, they'd shoot on sight. I stood like a statue, making sure not to give the tiniest of movement.

"He's here." One of the Fang said, it was the one with the swords. "Find him, he's hiding."

'fuck.'

The White Fang kept a tight knit formation. They moved like a fine tooth comb, searching the shelves and crates. My heart hammered in my ears. I only saw them thanks to the night vision in my helmet, like dark silhouettes come to life. None of them were using flashlights either. Which meant they probably didn't need to. Which meant they'd see me just fine if they looked at the right angle.

Which meant, when the White Fang standing in front of my shelf turned, He saw me plain as day through the back of it.

"Shit!" He shouted, fumbling with his rifle.

'FUCK!'

With a heave, I revealed my hiding spot. Pushing from the space between my shelf and wall, I toppled a shelf on the group to the left of the stairwell. As the Shelf toppled I activated VATs. The White fang froze mid-reaction. The shelf still toppling downward on the three in front of me. I cracked off two shots at the next closest member. They hit their mark and I charged him as VATs faded.

The rest of the White Fang began to react as three of their members were pinned and a fourth was taken hostage. I knew what they were going to do though. They wouldn't hesitate. So neither was I.

I whipped my gun around and aimed for the next closest member. Three shots cracked off in a blink, each nailed the member in the head. Before they had a chance to open fire, I forced the trigger of my hostage's assault rifle back. Rounds sprayed from the muzzle as I whipped the gun around wildly. The Fang members in front of me either dove out of the way or got hit and recoiled. The moment there was an opening, I flipped my hostage around and jammed the barrel of the rifle into his stomach. I charged forward and squeezed the trigger. The member screamed as I barreled through the members before me with all the force I needed.

The rifle clicked empty and my hostage stopped screaming. I stopped only long enough to notice the large bloody hole I'd blown into him.

I tossed the corpse aside and kept moving. I could hear them behind me, some were giving chase and the others were trying to lift the shelving.

Adrenaline was bombarding my system like a storm from the divide. The pain of my leg was fading, my mind forcing me to focus on survival.

Two White Fang leapt into view in front of me, their weapons ready, an assault rifle and a pistol.

My adrenaline fueled mind kicked into gear. I didn't stop, I pulled out my cattle prod and threw it at the man with the pistol. The electrode connected with his forehead and he convulsed, buckling slightly. The rifle sprayed and I dove to the man I'd just zapped. The rifle couldn't turn as fast and the pistol couldn't focus a shot. I punched pistol man to the floor and planted a foot on his throat. I turned on heel and faced the rifleman. I stopped the rifle midway, flipped That Gun around and pressed the cylinder release. The spent casings were spat from the cylinder and into the face of the rifleman. He flinched and I punched him in the sternum.

The rifleman recoiled as I snapped another clip's worth of rounds into the cylinder. The pistol man was regaining coherence and trying to push my foot off as he struggled to breathe. I shot him once in the face. The rifle man went to grab me and I kicked him in the balls. He screamed and I jammed That Gun into his mouth.

One trigger pull later revealed an important fact: Aura doesn't protect your insides. A spray of blood and gore from the back of the rifleman's head proved that. The rifleman's corpse slumped back as the pistol man continued his struggle. I pushed down a little harder as I bent over and retrieved my cattle prod. I kicked the pistol away and emptied the cylinder into his head.

* _SPLORCH_ *

It popped like an overripe mutfruit.

I smeared the blood from the lenses of my gas mask as I bolted, the White Fang right on my heels. I reloaded the cylinder, hand fumbling with the speedloader. I needed to keep calm, but the adrenaline wanted to push me. I needed to focus.

Another flurry of bullets was belted from the White Fang behind me. I could hear them colliding with the warehouse, the supports and struts ringing from the impact. I felt one fly past my right shoulder. The brief pain I felt meaning it grazed me.

I cut down the next corner, trying to throw them off. I was still outnumbered seven to one. I wasn't going to count the one I dropped the shelf on still being down. They were either going to flank me or were behind me. I didn't have an advantage on them still. Common sense and adrenaline said I should run. Frustration said I should fight.

My mind said I wanted a drink.

I leapt off to the side and hid amongst some crates in stealth mode. The White Fang careened past me in a fury, four of them. They had split up after all. They didn't care I'd just slaughtered three of them. Guess there was no honor among thieves. Or violent terrorists either. I waited for them to pass and went back the way I'd come.

I slowly released my breath. I was coming to grips with my situation.

I wasn't going to be able to hold back this time. They weren't leaving me a choice. They were hunting me down like a rat. That wasn't even counting the fact I'd just murdered three of them, something I'd wrestle with later. My teammates weren't going to help. There was no back up coming. Just me and the dark, with everything that lies within it.

I leaned briefly against some shelving, falling to a knee.

I felt a chill crawl down my spine at how familiar this situation was to…

'No. This isn't where it ends.'

I took a ragged breath.

'I'm not dying here. On some alien world because some furry fuckers have a hard on for killing people.'

I pushed myself to a crouch, entering stealth mode. Even through the adrenaline my calf throbbed, but I ignored it.

I'd only lost them for the moment. I needed to get rid of them. The question was how. They traveled in groups and weren't going to willfully let me pick them off. The longer this dragged on though, the more likely they were to call in backup. I couldn't get my teammates involved, they were busy on their own. I needed to get rid of them quickly. The only advantage I could think of was they weren't afraid to shoot each other. There had to be a way I could use that.

I quickly scanned the warehouse around me. Amidst the tools and crates, there wasn't anything I could see of value. Just forklifts, hand dollies, and chains. Couldn't use the forklifts, they were too loud, slow, and left me open to be shot. Plus, the most I could do is try and run them over. The hand dollies were worthless. The chains I could beat them with or maybe trip them up, but they were heavy and noisy. Dead weight more than anything…

I had an idea.

…

With a spin, the handle of Torchwick's Melodic Cudgel collided with the side of Blake's head. Before Torchwick could follow up, Blake flipped backward, distancing herself from the thief. The blade of Gambol Shroud collapsed and cocked back as the weapon's alternate function was enabled. Blake fired three shots at the thief. Only to have Torchwick dodge the first, block the other two, and turn the foot of his cudgel to her. The bottom of the cane flipped up and a ball of compressed dust flew from the barrel.

Making use of her semblance, The faunus huntress flew backwards. Leaving her clone to shield her from the blast. The dust and smoke settled and the two flew at each other one more. Blake drew the sheath of Gambol Shroud from her hip and hurled the weapon itself at Torchwick. The thief block the weapon with his own, watching as the pistol's momentum carried itself around his cudgel. Wrapping tight to it by a ribbon extended from Blake's wrist.

Using her new found anchor, Blake used it to pull herself towards Torchwick. She quickly closed the distance and swung the sharpened sheath at him. Roman took the first hit she gave, making an effort to avoid the rest she followed with before guarding with his cudgel. The two became locked with their weapons.

"Why!?" Blake half growled, half shouted "Why did you get the White Fang involved!?"

"Ho ho, kid." Roman sneered "I didn't _involve_ them-"

Torchwick kicked Blake's leg, forcing her back, lest she wanted to receive another blow to the head.

"- They came to me."

Torchwick followed her, swinging his cudgel to keep her on the defensive. He spun the cane around and wrapped the crook of it around the faunus girl's ankle. With a pull, Blake stumbled backward. Torchwick flipped the cane around once more and pointed it at the downed girl. Blake had only and instant to look down the barrel of the cane and roll before another round of compressed dust exploded next to her. Her ears rang and she felt the shockwave through her aura as she was blown to the side. Though she escaped major injury, she felt off kilter. Torchwick didn't allow for her to recover, preparing another shot.

He was stopped by an errant banana peel being flung into his face.

Which was followed by a flying double heel kick to the face.

Sun collided with Torchwick and rolled to the ground. Weapons drawn and ready for a fight.

"Leave her alone." Sun snarled

…

Yang roared as she cocked her fist back. Ember Celica cocked itself and fired as Yang thrust her arm forward in a punch. The motion repeated rapidly as Yang unleashed a hale of gunfire on her opponent.

Neopolitan dodged the gunfire easily. None of it concentrated enough to be effective.

With a roar, Yang pointed Ember Celica behind herself and expelled the last of her loaded ammunition. The explosion propelled her forward with a bang. She carried it through with a straight, directed at the face of the multicolored thief.

With grace, Neo avoided the blow and those that followed with ease. She weaved effortlessly between every jab, dipped between every straight, and twirled away from every haymaker. Every swing Yang attempted met with naught but air.

Yang's frustration mounted. She drew in close and threw an uppercut at the thief. It was easily dodge and countered with a high kick from Neo. Yang raised her guard and stopped the kick dead, grabbing Neo's leg and throwing her back.

Neo responded by gracefully using the momentum to reorient herself and land unscathed and no worse for wear. The next punch Yang attempted was caught and pulled in tight by the tiny thief. With her movement restricted, Yang was susceptible to the blow to the face that followed shortly thereafter. Then the follow up by a kick to the back of the head as Neo released her spun, and put distance between them.

Yang expelled the shells from her Ember Celica and slapped two new belts of ammunition in. She glared at the thief. "You're really annoying."

Neo smirked and gave a small curtsy.

Yang sprang at her with a roar, boosting her attack with a blast from Ember Celica. A straight flew forward and collided with the chest of the thief. Yang felt a momentary sense of accomplishment, finally landing a hit.

The tiny thief then shattered like glass.

Before Yang could register what had happened, Neo appeared beside her and smacked the length of her umbrella into the side of Yang's head. Followed by a compressed blast of dust to her side. Her aura tanked the brunt of the damage and Yang skidded to the side, quickly adopting a guard. She came to a stop long enough to stare at the thief, still smirking at her.

"Wha-"

With a twirl, a second thief appeared. An exact copy of Neopolitan in every proportion.

With a flick of her arms, the yellow huntress loosed another salvo at the thief. Both the thief and her doppleganger weaved between the shots. A quick and chaotic pattern that soon lead to Yang's bafflement. She could neither tell which of them was real, nor could she hit them.

"Wuh oh."

Neo and her doppleganger kicked Yang in the face.

…

From her perch on the roof of the warehouse, Penny Polendina watched as her friends fought for their lives. A dazzling display of prowess, light, and sound. The two faunus had taken to fighting the man with the Bowler hat, the monkey one having come to Blake's aid. Yang was fighting a pair of oddly colored girls and appeared to be struggling. She seemed greatly frustrated. Ruby and Weiss were working in tandem to dispatch the White Fang that surrounded them. They danced an intricate dance of blades and bullets.

"HIYA!" Ruby shouted

The red clad girl spun in a fury. Propelled by the gunfire of her scythe. The curved blade dipped and twisted around her like a tree bough in a storm. Whipping and thrashing everything foolish enough to stand in front of her. Her movements were inexperienced. But they had speed and displayed a level of prowess one would only gain from long practice.

Her partner, the White clad Weiss, acted as a polar opposite. Every movement emanated grace, every thrust purpose, every repose control. She wasted no movement as she deflected blades and sprang between opponents with her glyphs. Dust powered explosions punctuating the occasional flourish. From Penny's knowledge, she could see much of specialist Schnee's influence in her. Only lacking in her true mastery of glyphs and experience.

Penny wanted desperately to join them. The present conditions were meeting all of the qualifications for the 'Fun_With_Friends' subroutine. But Papa had made it clear, she wasn't yet ready. Nor was the world ready for her. She knew she could do more than sit by the wayside. The technicians had repeatedly mentioned during her maintenance cycles how she was more than combat ready. In practice, she'd been shown to excel. The tactics and strategies of generations of Atlas military action were already downloaded into her mind. She was almost as physically capable as the recent paladin models. Even her endoskeletal systems were crafted with the finest atlesian materials.

She was _made_ to be combat ready. But it was always the same: 'wait. Your time will come. be patient'.

She wanted to be among friends. To do the things others do. To attend school. To hang out with 'friends'. To talk about cute boys and the social hang ups of life. To have fun. To be a normal girl, just like Papa said she would be.

She was happy she had this opportunity presented to her today. To spend time among friends and be normal. Despite being forced to wait as her friends fought radicalized faunus in a shipyard at dusk. She wanted to help them. She knew she could. But she could not act without violating the wishes of her Papa and her friend. That would be dishonest.

This sentiment changed the instant Ruby was hurt.

A trio of bullheads roared as they swept over the docks. Machineguns roared from their hulls as they peppered the ground below with dust infused munitions. The rounds sprayed through the White Fang and the two huntresses. Those with the awareness dove for cover while able. The White Huntress launched herself with her glyphs, narrowly avoiding the hail of fire as she weaved through the docks.

The Red Huntress had much less success. She spun her scythe in an attempt to block as much of the incoming fire as she possibly could. Even as she deflected the projectiles however, it did little to defend against the debris and splatter caused by the projectiles colliding with the ground around her. The debris smacked and buffeted the Red huntress. None enough to harm her, but the pain dug at her.

The Bullheads roared past and the White Fang resumed their assault. The Red Huntress was beginning to slow, the continual guarding and dodging wearing on her. Even as she swung in retaliation, her strikes grew slower and heavier. She was no stranger to long fights, nor was she weak. But the continued assault was taking its toll. No room to breathe left her with no chance to build strength in her swings, draining the power from each successive strike.

This culminated in the lucky strike of a single White Fang.

The Faunus weaved through her sluggish strikes and bashed the butt of their assault rifle into Ruby's face. This stumbled the girl, her grip loosened on her beloved scythe and she was forced into retreat. She dodged every strike she could, trying to regain control over her weapon even as the assault continued. All the while, failing to notice that her assailants were steadily forcing her into a corner. Her partner off fighting her own battle and unknowing of her rapidly decaying situation.

From her perch on the warehouse, Penny watched as one of the few friends she had was being forced into a increasingly lethal situation. She could run the statistic in her mind, the odds of Ruby surviving unscathed had fallen below fifty percent and were plummeting by the second. The odds of her suffering a fifty percent friend decrease were growing greater by the moment.

At that analysis Penny decided that, despite Papa and Six's wishes, it was time to intervene. Penny released the latches in her back and allowed the hatch to open. The mechanical whir of gears and the cold scrape of sharpened steel sounded from behind her as her blades were extended. In the fraction of a second it took for her to plot her attack vector, Penny set her blades into formation. Power flooded into her legs as she leapt from the roof, clearing half the distance to her friend in ease. The power transferred easily to her blades as she collected them together.

The blades hummed wildly before erupting into a roar as they released a continuous pulse of kinetic energy. Transforming Penny's leap into a dive bomb as she flew towards the White Fang surrounding Ruby. With a twist, Penny angled her feet and smashed down into the crowd of faunus. A thunderous shockwave rang out and a crater was smashed into the concrete docks. The unfortunate White Fang that hadn't moved in time white flying. Shellshock rippled through the faunus.

"P-Penny!?" Ruby asked "What are you-

"Don't worry friend Ruby." Penny smiled

Penny's blades extended and hovered next to her as the Faunus began to recover.

"I'm combat ready."

…

As softly as I could, I finished connecting the chains to the shelving. Trying with extreme difficulty to avoid making any undue noise. There was a large possibility this plan wouldn't work. So I was going to have to play by ear. There were a lot of variables in this I wouldn't be able to account for and it wouldn't be much for things to go sideways. But if it worked, it'd significantly cut down the amount of work I'd have to do.

With the chain fastened tight I got into position in the cramped corridor of shelves. The trap was set, I was basically blind, and had no way of knowing it would work. If it didn't, it'd only take one or two stray bullets to kill me and they'd all the free reign to do it.

I took a deep breath.

'Same shit, different day'

I tensed myself, it was time to act.

'Last chance, assholes.'

"I'm only going to give you one shot." I shouted into the darkness.

I could hear the collective White Fang stop moving.

"If any of you have people you care about, families, friends, or loved ones; it doesn't matter-"

I could hear the footsteps racing towards me. I got into position.

"If you have people you care about, this is the only chance I'm giving. Walk away, _now_."

'No matter what comes. You've made your choice.'

In a joint effort, light erupted from both ends of the corridor as the White Fang opened fire. Bullets collided and ripped through my armor, perforating my coat and armored vest. Sparks flew from my helmet as bullets clipped and glanced off it, or rang as they tore through.

The rounds from both directions continued through and sprayed both ends of the corridor. In their haste to gun me down, they failed to account for shooting each other. Bullets nailed and collapsed people on both sides, at least three of them. Judging by the blood they were spewing, they weren't getting back up either. From my position outside the corridor, I watched as the White Fang gunned each other down while utterly wrecking my armor. The hand dolly sitting it upright flopped over loudly as the bullets imparted their force on it.

"Cease fire!" The swordsman shouted "CEASE FIRE!"

The rifle fire trailed off and the world was engulfed by the darkness again.

"… What are you waiting for, go look." I heard the swordsman growl.

I listened carefully through the ringing in my ears as the remaining White Fang cautiously walked down the corridor. I waited until they were in position.

"What the-"

'bingo'

The fork lift roared to life and I slammed it into reverse. The chains attached to it went taught as they imparted their force onto the affixed shelving. The ones I had dropped on them earlier had been small and relatively light weight. Meant for holding small parcels. These ones were holding massive wooden crates, roughly weighing a couple hundred pounds easy.

The initial pull set the shelf off kilter. I slammed the lift into forward and rammed the shelving, pushing it hard back in the other direction. The shelving heaved.

"SHI-"

Those were the last words of whoever said them. The shelving and crates collapsed downward on the White Fang with a clattering of metal and a sickening crunch. I waited until the noise settled before I climbed off the forklift. It took me a second to find my helmet, but it was the first thing I put on. One of the lenses was cracked, there were dings galore on the mask, and there were a few holes in the helmet. I was going to need to do some major reconstruction later. The darkness faded and I could see the room once more.

It wasn't pretty.

Another three of the White Fang had been crushed under the crates. Not neatly and out of sight either. Parts of them jutted out from the edges of the crates. Arms, legs, torsos, organs, and bone. They'd been crushed brutally. A small movement caught my attention as one of the Fang moved. Their head was sticking out from under a crate, blood pouring from his mouth.

"W… what-" He choked out

I drew my gun and put a round in his head. There was no recovering from what had been done to him. Best case he'd have been stuck in a bed for the rest of his life. Eating through a tube and shitting into a bag.

'I offered them a chance.'

I pulled my armor from the wreckage and examined it. The vest wasn't going to provide much more protection and the duster had been shot full of holes. I put it back on to keep some level of modesty.

'I offered them a chance.'

"The fuck?" A voice said in a breathless squeak

I turned and looked at once had been the end of the corridor. The swordsman was still standing there, color drained from the little I could see of his face. He was the last one alive, and he knew it.

The lenses of my gas mask flared as I stalked towards him, gun drawn and cattle prod humming violently. I had no doubt I looked like a mess, shot full of holes and beat to hell and back. But I only looked it. One on one, nothing but me and him: I'd rip him apart.

I was less than a dozen feet away when he acted. He threw his blades down as far from himself as he could and fell to his knees.

"I-I give up!" he screamed

I leapt and buried the cattle prod in his throat. He let out a strangled scream as the electricity coursed through him.

"I gave you a chance." I growled

I removed the cattle prod and buried me knee into his masked face. I crumbled and I planted that same knee into his chest. I put my weapons away and smashed my fists into the man's face, pummeling him until his mask broke. I didn't stop until he wasn't moving anymore and his face was caked with blood. I loomed over him, waiting for him to make a move. He stayed deathly still.

He wasn't though, dead that is. I checked his neck for a pulse and found it there. I'd likely beaten him into unconsciousness. Good.

I rose and walked to the exit of the warehouse. I'd let him live. He was the only one who'd given up and wasn't in any position to keep causing me trouble. I took a breath and let my heart rate slow. The adrenaline was fading and the pain was starting to ebb back in. Not just from my leg and side though. I could feel it in my fists too. I'd hit him hard.

I walked to the door of the warehouse and shut it behind me. The docks had changed during my brief stint inside. Craters had been blown into the concrete, shipping containers were overturned and collapsing, and bullet holes littered everything. The place had turned into a warzone in the blink of an eye.

'… What'd I miss?'

I was answered by the whine of turbines. The aircraft that had opened fire on us at the start of this flew in low and fast. Fire spewed from the gun ports below the cockpit. The Machine guns were raining hot death down on something further in the docks. The aircraft were moving slow as well, clearly whatever they were shooting at, they wanted dead. Which didn't bode well for the rest of my team.

I grit my teeth and beat feet back into the docks. The pain was catching up with me and I was starting to worry about my leg. The only positive things I could think of were that I hadn't gotten light headed yet and I could still feel my leg.

Which distracted me from the object that was flying at me.

From the air above me fell a human shaped object. Fitting, since it was one. The limp body collided with me and I slammed to the ground. A mop of long hair scattered over my helmet, obscuring my view. Whoever they were, they were heavy. I could feel their limp body pressing down on me. I couldn't immediately tell who it was though. My vision had been obscured before I could register who.

I swiped my hand over them to try and reach the hair covering my mask. I needed to get them off of me. My hand caught something and stopped mid-way. It was firm and supple to the touch. It seemed vaguely round and seemed vaguely fleshy.

The person laying on top of me groaned softly.

'… ah, this is Yang, isn't it?'

I moved my arms between me and Yang and carefully moved her off of me.

"Urgh." Yang groaned

"You still with us Yang?" I asked

"My head hurts."

"Funny, with the fall you-"

"Look out!"

Yang rolled the rest of the way off me in time to avoid the _other_ body that fell from the sky. Unfortunately, I didn't. I felt a knee plant itself in the soft of my stomach, fully cracking my armor. It was followed by the sharp pain of sharpened steel being rammed through my right shoulder. I felt it pass out the other side.

I roared in pain as I tried to comprehend the situation. My eyes adjusted and I got a view of the world around me. Yang had rolled off to the side and was springing to her feet. Over top me now was the pink and brown eyesore that was 'Neo'. She'd removed the handle from her umbrella and revealed that it had a pointy end by ramming it into my shoulder.

The hetero chromatic girl/woman/Halfling looked at me, slightly confused but a pleased air about her. She probably thought she was going to miss.

"YOU FUCKING- _RRRRAAAA!-_ "

I swung my uninjured arm at Neo. I felt a tug on my injured shoulder as the pointy umbrella bit was ripped out and Neo back flipped away. I scrambled away, struggling with my continually mounting injuries. I came to a knee next to Yang. She looked at me for a moment then went wide eyed.

"Oh crap" She started "Are you-"

"Stay focused" I growled

She stared at me uneasily before shifting focus to the eyesore. Neo had this cocksure smirk on her face and was daintly leaning on her umbrella. If my guess was right, she and Yang had been fighting the entire time I was inside the warehouse. Which meant she'd been fighting non-stop with the person who'd put me through a wall _twice_ and had come out of it unharmed. More than that, she might've been winning if the past few seconds were an indicator. This girl had reached at least deathclaw level on my danger meter.

'She's not even as tall as _Ruby_!'

The eyesore blew a kiss and kicked the tip of her umbrella up towards us. A glowing projectile shot from it and I dove out of the way. My body screamed in protest but I did it anyway. I flopped down and scrambled to get up again.

'ok, quit being a weak bitch and fight already.'

I passed That Gun over to my uninjured left arm and cracked off a shot at Neo. I wasn't as practiced with my left, but her extending her umbrella meant I couldn't have been too bad.

Yang threw herself at Neo her fist cocked back. The instant she was in range though, Neo collapsed her umbrella, spun it, and hit the underside of Yang's head with the hook. Yang recoiled and I saw the glint of metal as Neo attempted to draw the dagger from her umbrella again.

I cracked off another shot. Neo dipped out of the way to avoid it, re-sheathing her dagger in the process. I grit my teeth and forced myself forward. I fired another round and forced Neo to pull back slightly. She was handling Yang's assault well, which meant she was either stronger, faster, or more experienced than she let on.

Yang swung faster, her arms flickering as she tried to be faster than Neo. But the eyesore only avoided the blows until she decided to do something about them. By something, that meant she locked down on one of Yang's arms and twisted. With a lurch, Yang hit the ground on her back. With gusto, Neo twisted harder and buried a knee into Yang's throat. With a dissonant smile, Neo forced down harder on Yang's windpipe.

"Hey, bitch!"

Neo's head snapped around in time to catch my foot in her face.

"Get your hideous color scheme off my teammate."

Despite landing the hit, Neo rolled with it. She flipped away and landed a few yards away, rubbing her face. I followed it up with a few more bullets keeping her at bay. Yang coughed as she collected herself.

"You okay sun-"

The coughing exploded into a roar as Yang sprang to her feet. Her purple eyes turned crimson red and flames erupted from her hair. She glared daggers at Neo.

'oh for fuck's sake.'

Predictably, Yang threw herself at Neo. My injured arm snapped out and grabbed Yang by the hair. Not the smartest move given how much it hurt, but it was my free hand. Yang jerked to a stop and whipped back to look at me. She looked ready to plow me through another wall.

"Don't. Touch. My. Hair." Yang growled

"Then stop getting your ass handed to you."

I loosed another shot at Neo, keeping her at bay.

"I've got her on the ropes." Yang growled, turning around to repeat her previous actions.

I pulled her hair again.

"Stop that!" She shouted

"I will when you have a better idea than running in guns blazing." I growled, reloading

Another projectile was launched from Neo's umbrella. The two of us dove out of the way and Yang tried _again_. I stopped her again.

"I'm going to punch you!" Yang shouted like an angry child

"-And I'm going to knock you the fuck out!" I shouted, shooting at Neo still. "You keep charging her like you're going to actually hit her, and each time she knocks you on your ass. You realize she's trying to _kill_ you, right?"

"I'll wipe that smug smirk off her face." Yang growled

"No, she'll kill you first."

"No. She. Won't!"

I whipped around and bopped her on the fore head with the handle of my cattle prod.

"Quit being stubborn!"

Neo sprang at us. With a flick, the dagger was free from her umbrella and buried into my upper left arm. It poked clear through to the other side. I howled in pain, if my armor wasn't in shambles, it might've just deflected it.

Yang intervened, finally landing a clean hit on Neo as she punched her in the face. The dagger exited my arm as Neo retreated.

"Quit getting stabbed!" Yang shouted

Neo stood at a distance. Still smiling smugly at the two of us. She looked completely fine. I gripped my new injury, it was getting harder and harder to ignore the pain.

"How long have you been fighting her?" I asked

"Since the start." Yang growled

"Have you managed to even get a hit in yet?"

"…"

"Right. Then you should change tactics."

"Like how?"

"Stop running head first and thinking you can brute force it."

"I can take her."

"No, you clearly can't."

I eyed Neo from a distance. She looked like a hungry animal that had cornered it prey. She was toying with us and was ready to finish it. We needed to end this.

"… Together." I said

"Together?"

"Separated, as we are now, we won't see dawn. Together, we'll mop the floor with her."

Yang looked me up and down and gave a disbelieving chuckle. "Really, looking like that?"

I got into a stance, gun ready and cattleprod humming. "Try me."

Yang blinked, then a familiar cocksure smirk crossed her face.

"Yeah, alright."

"Good, keep rhythm and work with me. I think you'll pick it up."

Yang rolled her eyes and got into a stance next to me.

"Try and keep up." She challenged

The two of us sprang at Neo. I let Yang lead, my wounds keeping me slow. Neo blocked Yang's first straight with the shaft of her umbrella, then deflected the follow-up jab with a swat of the hook. I followed in seamlessly, thrusting the cattle prod at Neo's throat. She recoiled, and I whipped the barrel of my pistol at her.

Her eyes snapped open and she dipped out of the way a fraction of a second before the sparks leapt from the barrel. Her umbrella twirled and hooked onto my wrist. I let her lead me, knowing she'd likely try to get me to hit Yang. Except I didn't, even after she moved me to aim at Yang I continued. I used the momentum to pull at Neo, in an attempt to knock her off balance and drag her with me. She seemed to realize it and released her umbrella in an attempt to stop it.

Yang took the opportunity to swing again as I spun and threw the umbrella away. Neo dipped out of the way and backpedaled. Yang followed it, firing two blasts from her Ember Celica. Neo continued to dodge, flipping backwards as she put space between us and her. I slipped into VATs for a moment, using it to focus on her left leg. She clearly relied on mobility, so removing that was step one. I cracked off two rounds. I knew better than to expect it to bypass her aura so easily. But if her flopping mid flip was an indicator, it hurt.

Yang and I continued our assault. Making sure not to give her an inch. I could tell from the way she was turning though she was trying to lead us backwards. She was trying to get her umbrella back, I could tell. I made every move to keep her from it, every time it looked like she was going to lead off towards it, I'd take a shot at her legs. She was smart enough to prioritize not getting shot first. I couldn't blame her for wanting to recover her only means of defense. Getting shot sucks. Though I wasn't going to give her the opportunity to let her.

I snapped the electrode up towards her slender chin and followed through with a thrust. My wounds were slowing me, they fell short of connecting. She backed off further and I cracked off the last round in the chamber. The cylinder spat its shells as Yang took over the assault. She delivered a measured haymaker that was met with more dodges and dips. Neo was weaved gracefully as changed into a jab and followed it with a low kick

The cylinder snapped shut with a whine and I trained on my enemy again. If I wasn't hurt, I could've taken her myself. If I was properly armed, I could've taken everyone… with some difficulty. If I'd had a moment to plan before everyone jumped off the proverbial cliff, tonight could've been much smoother.

Everything had gone wrong and I was sick of it.

I sprang back into the fray. With a double burst of her gauntlets, Yang rocketed towards Neo. The shorter girl easily sidestepped out of the way. I followed Yang, keeping Neo on her toes with my cattleprod. She barely avoided the electrode at every turn. From the corner of my eye I could See Yang rounding back for a heavy straight. One arm cocked behind her for propulsion and the other ready to swing.

I did my diligence and swiped with the prod, rounding Neo so she'd take the brunt of the hit. She was baited into it, a cocky smirk on her face. It shattered as Yang planted her fist in the back of her skull.

Along with her everything else.

Neo shattered like glass, with the pieces falling to the dirt. They faded out of existence not long thereafter.

"The _hell_?" I asked

"Tsk, she did it again." Yang growled

"Again?"

I quickly spun around, looking for where the tiny eyesore had disappeared to. I spotted her sitting on a crate, smirking and daintily twirling her umbrella.

"What- but- how did-" I stuttered

"It's probably her semblance." Yang growled

'… Wonderful. _Another_ thing I know jack-shit about.'

With a stretch, Neo stood up from the crate. Cocky as all hell and not yet losing a step.

"I _really_ want to wipe that smirk off her face." Yang said

"Get in line."

Neo strutted towards the two of us, umbrella in both hands. She blurred a moment and suddenly there were two of her. Two cocky smirks on a pair of colorblind eyesores. With a flip, they threw themselves at us. Weaving together well enough I couldn't tell which was real. She came between me and Yang like a knife. She knew if she could separate us she'd have an easier time picking us off. I wasn't having it.

The first time she swung her umbrella, I deflected and countered with my cattleprod. She dipped to avoid it, lowering her umbrella. I grabbed it and used it to maintain distance. With a pull, I dragged her into the electrode. She shattered and I moved to confront the one attacking Yang.

I lunged forward and drove my heel into the back of her knee. If the her sudden rigidness was an indicator, she hadn't expected me to be back so soon.

Yang capitalized on the opportunity, landing a clean hit on her chin. Transforming Neo's slow fall into a careening crash. She hit the ground and spun, whipping her legs around in a circle. Yang and I stepped back as Neo bought herself room. She pushed with her hands and flipped to her feet.

Yang prepared to throw herself in once more but was blocked by the sudden extension of the Umbrella's canopy. Her fist collided with and was stopped by the canvas. The canvas then snapped shut and Neo kicked out at Yang's stomach. It landed solid and Yang recoiled.

I whipped That Gun around and leveled it at Neo's head. I was met with the tip of Neo's umbrella poking into my chest. What followed was hardly a fraction of a moment to acknowledge what was happening, then a sudden burst of force crashing into my chest.

I felt my body leave the ground for several seconds, blown back by the force that had impacted it. The wind was blown from my lungs and I felt my ribs crack. It hurt, but it was a concentrated pain.

The pain I felt after hitting the shipping container behind me was less so. The force of the impact was spread throughout my body. Pain slapped through every nerve for a moment, and I worried she might have broken something. There was a dulling ringing in my ears from my head snapping against the container. I felt myself flop to the ground, sputtering and coughing as my lungs fought to suck the air back in.

"Six!" Yang shouted

Neo took the moment Yang shouted my name to strike. She began to wail upon Yang unabashedly. I watched through blurred vision as Yang struggled to defend and retaliate. Her hair a blazing crown of gold and fire. I could hear her roaring as her anger and frustration were built with each successful hit.

I struggled to my feet. The world wouldn't stop spinning. I leaned against the shipping container for balance.

The glint of steel caught my eye. Neo had drawn her dagger and was moving to skewer Yang. The smaller girl locked Yang's arm at the elbow and brought the pointed object in low.

My addled mind did nothing to dull my reflexes. VATs snapped open for only a few seconds, but in that frame I'd fired the last two rounds in the cylinder. One smacked into the back of Neo's head, and the other hit her in the forearm.

Neo released Yang's arm and bucked forward, a hand moving to the back of her head. Yang stepped back for only a second to orient herself. Then she dove in again. Her right fist came down heavy on Neo's head and the tiny girl slammed into the ground with the force of an angry blonde. This time, it wasn't some illusion bullshit either.

Yang raised her leg to stomp down and Neo struggled to move out of the way in time. She rolled and got to a knee. As Neo tried to push her leg up, Yang pointed her gauntlets at her. Neo stopped, caught with what I assume was a shotgun aimed at her head. Even with 'aura' I was pretty sure a point blank shotgun blast to the face would hurt. This fight was over.

'Fight's over, bitch.'

I stumbled to my feet in time to eat my words. A low whining echoed through the air as one of the aircraft came in low and uncontrolled. It was crashing down hard and barreling towards us.

Most likely sensing an opening, Neo swung her cane and caught the underside of Yang's chin. Yang's head snapped back and Neo sprang away, putting distance between her and the landing zone of the aircraft. Yang was dazed and the craft was closing in fast.

'Fuck!'

I pushed myself hard, my body continuing to protest movement as I cleared the space between me and Yang. I collided with her and we hit the ground. The aircraft fly over us so close it would've ripped us in half had we been standing.

The ground shuddered and the air was filled with sparks and the shrill squeal of metal on concrete. The craft slammed into several stacks of shipping containers. The boomed like thunder as they met the ground and the surrounding area was lit with an explosion of light and heat. I stayed prone until the thundering died down. When it did, I raised my head to survey my surroundings.

I was met with the bowel emptying sight of seeing three more aircraft rocketing towards us, machine guns blazing.

"What the-" Yang groaned, coming back to reality.

"Stay down!" I shouted, grabbing onto her and keeping her down.

Bullets splatter and bits of rock peppered me. The aircraft took their sweep slow enough to make sure they were hitting.

I spared a glance upward to see how close they were to passing.

I instead watched as a massive green laser cleaved them all into two.

The engines died and the machine guns stopped firing. The occupants tumbled from the aircraft as the machines themselves fell ahead of them. They crashed down well behind us. Likely landing in the harbor. I let a moment pass as I tried to register what had transpired.

'… seriously, the **_fuck_** did I miss?'

"Uhh..." Yang started "You going to get off me?"

I looked back down and realized I was laying on top of Yang. Having unconsciously moved to cover her.

'shit.'

"Sorry." I grunted, picking myself up painfully.

I offered a hand and she took it. It was less me hauling her up and me standing there though. My body was screaming at me to stop moving.

Yang stood and brushed the dust and rubble off. "Well… that was a thing."

"No kidding." I grunted rubbing my aching wounds. "I thought giant lasers cutting shit in half was normal…"

I looked around, something wasn't right. Yang seemed to notice it too.

"Where did that smug eyesore go?" Yang asked

The whine of a final aircraft was our answer. We watched it rise from the area our teammates had been. The bay doors were open and Torchwick was barely hanging inside of it. His eyesore accomplice was with him, looking as smug as ever despite losing. She seemed to notice us and smirked down at us as the doors began to slide shut. I entered VATs one last time and cracked a shot off at her head.

The last I saw of her before the aircraft left was her flopping back on her ass.

"Ha! Bitch."

* * *

 **You know, I should've noticed something was wrong when the chapter summary I wrote for this was two and a half pages long. normally they reach only half a page, whoops. This isn't the end of the finale either, I have one part left still. I just split it up because It's been stupid long since I last updated and this was already running way past the twenty page mark. So, apologies for tardiness, and hopefully the next one will be a bit quicker.\**

 **"SVVessel": You might've taken too long to start, but it's never too late. I did take a look at it and thought you had a few cool ideas going for you. Truth is, I wish I'd considered a few of them myself.**

 **"Lone commentor: (1) From where you're sitting, this quest probably sounds like a chance to prove the White Fang aren't evil. Truth is, they were shit from the start. (2) One can hope he does. But given how Bethesda screwed Obsidian, that's probably all they'll be.**

 **"Guest": Is it done? Honestly lost track after a while.**

 **I'll call it here for the moment. Hopefully the next update won't take nearly as long. As usual:** **all thoughts, comments, reviews, ramblings, jokes, and general mayhem are welcome.**

 **This fanfic was brought to you by Polendina's Puppetry: performances so real, you can't even see the strings.**

 **adios.**

 **-Ash**


	16. V1 Finale P3: Pawn in the Game

(Special thanks to Mecharic for beta reading)

* * *

The police arrived not long after the fighting stopped. Leave it to these guys to show up after the fact. We'd been fighting for over half an hour and were by no means quiet about it. There's absolutely no good reason why _none_ of them bothered to show up. Once the fighting was past though, they descended like flies to Brahmin shit. They were followed by reporters and media hounds. Clearly chomping at the bit to be the first to throw more shit at the White Fang. Something I was wholly okay with, considering recent events.

It took Yang and me a few minutes to hobble back to our friends. Yang didn't seem any worse for wear, but I was probably a bullet away from having to pay the mortician. We found them sitting on some crates near the entrance of the docks. One of the police seemed to reading them the riot act. Everyone was there, even Penny. I guess she'd decided to climb down at some point.

"- What you did was ridiculously dangerous and stupid." The cop finished as we got close. "You should've let us know about this instead of doing what you did."

"We did what we did because you suck at your job." I growled

My teammate noticed me and Yang approaching at that. They went wide eyed for some reason. The cop turned around and took note of my not so subtle jab. Before he could say anything though, he went slack jawed. He slid the sunglasses off of his face and not-so-subtly looked me over.

"Oh crap." He mumbled, turning to another cop "Hey, get one of the medics over here!"

"I'm fine." I growled.

I pushed past the cop and sat myself on a crate between Ruby and Weiss. Snowflake recoiled visibly and looked like she was about to spring away. Like I was some beat up piece of trash someone had just hocked at her. She, and I'm assuming everyone else, eyed me cautiously as I began toying with the wound in my left arm. I wasn't going to patch it up first, especially since it required removing the scrap metal I called armor. But I needed to make sure my range of motion wasn't impeded with it before I moved on to something more important. A little blood welled from it, and it hurt, but I'd last.

A man dressed in a dark uniform with rubber gloves and a pack rushed over to us. He came to a stop next to the cop.

"Where's the…" His eyes swept over our group and singled me out. They went wide and his jaw dropped "Holy crap."

"Just a few flesh wounds" I ground out. "Nothing worth getting yourself tangled in knots over."

With my arm stable for the moment, I pulled my pant leg up and got a good look at the bullet wound in my calf. The tourniquet had done its job, my hairy leg had stopped bleeding. But that didn't change the fact there was a hole blown in it, caked with barely clotted blood and grime. I flaked and smudged some of it off as I tried to get a better look.

"Please stop." Weiss gagged

"Lighten up, snowflake" I grunted "If I don't tend to it things will only get worse."

"Then you'd be better off letting us help." The medic spoke up "It needs to be cleaned, and is probably going to need stitches."

"I'm perfectly capable of tending myself. Just need the proper supplies…"

I looked around at my teammates and gathered company. They were all staring in some wide eyed combination of fascination and horror. No clue how much experience any of them had with seeing a wounded man patch himself, but it probably wasn't much.

"Anybody got any alcohol?" I asked

The cop and medic shared a look, then the medic opened his pack and pulled out some small, sealed, envelopes.

"I need alcohol, not paper."

"They are." The medic answered, confused "They're sterilized swabs… meant for cleaning wounds."

"Oh… not what I meant, but that'll work too I guess."

I took the envelopes and ripped them open. I took the swabs and ran them over my wound, cleaning them as thoroughly as I could. The alcohol stung and burned, but it was wiping the gore away easy enough. I got it clean enough that I could see the wound and prepped myself for the next step.

"Gonna need some bandages and gauze now."

The medic supplied them and I readied for the next part.

"If you're squeamish, look away, I'm about to remove the tourniquet." I said to no one in particular.

"The what-"

With a yank, I unlatched the belt keeping the blood out of my leg. I immediately felt warm blood rush back into my leg. Then out the hole and onto the ground. It was gushing fast too, guess the tourniquet wasn't such a bad idea.

Weiss went paler than usual and squirmed away from me.

'warned you.'

I wadded some of the gauze and pushed it into the wound, then applied some to the exterior and bound it tight with the bandage. Not an award winning patch job but it'd hold until morning.

'alright, one down.'

"Are you crazy?" The medic asked in disbelief "You could've lost your leg if you'd done that wrong!"

"Where I'm from, dying from blood loss sounds much worse than having to chop my leg off."

My teammates, the cop, and the medic were all looking at me like I was psychotic.

"… well… not by much."

"… Ok, you need serious medical attention." The medic said, moving for his scroll. "I have no clue how you're still conscious. But if the rest of your wounds are that serious it's a miracle you haven't slipped into shock already."

"I'll be fine." I growled "I'm used to patching myself up. Just need a goodnight's sleep and some time in the sun"

Now the medic was looking at me like I was stupid. "Kid, I'm not a doctor, but with that leg alone you'd need several weeks of bed rest and therapy before even being cleared from the hospital. That's including your aura."

"Oh, good, I'm not a doctor either. Still know what it takes to keep me kicking though."

"Six-" Ruby started "… what?"

I looked at the girl in the red cape. "What, never had to practice first aid before?"

Ruby looked me up and down again. She had this look on her face like she was slowly realizing something.

"C-Cap'n!" A voice shouted

I looked off and noticed another detective was running towards us. He looked to be coming from the warehouse.

'oh boy.'

"What is it Heyman?" The cop standing over us grunted

"Y-you gotta come take a look at this." The detective puffed, trying to catch his breath

"Any chance it can wait? I haven't finished grilling these youngsters about breaking and entering yet."

"No cap'n it's… You gotta see this."

"… alright, what is it?"

"It's… a Bloody Mess."

The detective headed back the way he'd came and the cop who'd been with us turned back.

"To summarize: No wooden nickels, eight glasses of water, and hugs not drugs."

The cop gave a small nod and headed off towards the warehouse. The medic, probably sensing something big had happened looked back and forth between us and the warehouse. He dispensed some more supplies and pointed at me before hurrying off after the police.

"… What do you think that was about?" Sun asked

"Probably mass suicide or some shit." I grunted "All the religious whack jobs are into it."

I felt a collective glare fall on me.

"…Shit, too soon?"

Blake glared at me a moment longer. With a sigh, she shifted her focus to the ground.

'yea, too soon.'

I focused on trying to patch myself up. My leg was no longer of immediate concern, so it was time to start piecing the rest of me together. I took off my duster and began to examine the rest of the damage done. Unfortunately, without removing more of my armor, I wasn't going to get a good idea or actually be able to treat any of it. My hands fumbled to try and make space. Looking at the wound through the holes in my armor was less than ideal.

"Are… are you ok Six?" Yang asked, looking me over worriedly

"I'm poked full of holes and leaking more blood than a fresh cut T-bone." I growled "What do you think."

"Hey, no need to bite my head off." She growled back

"Sorry… it just… hurts."

"You could just take it off, that'd probably help."

"… screw it."

I reached down to the sides of my riot gear and began undoing the clasps. There wasn't much holding it together, by the time I'd released the second the vest fell away on its own. After that, I just peeled of the sweat and blood stained undershirt that separated the vest and duster from my _actual_ undershirt.

Peeling _that_ off was much more painful. My teammates moved to stop me when it became apparent it hurt.

"Hang on" Ruby started "if it hurts you should wai-"

I tossed the upper portions of my armor off to the side. Taking a moment to let the pain of ripping the scabs off subside. My present company stared at me.

"Whoa." Yang said breathlessly.

They were all still staring at me. I don't know if I was much to look at really. Years of living in the Mojave had done a number on my body before whatever happened on the trip here. I'd racked up a pretty noticeable amount of scar tissue: Cuts, bullet wounds, burns, the occasional plasma burn, broken bones. General damage one could expect from the wasteland. When I got here though, something had changed. I hadn't noticed until I'd gotten an opportunity to clean myself, but a fair bit of the scarring had disappeared. Not all of it, there were still some noticeable ones, but it was nowhere near what it once was.

My physique had stayed roughly the same too. I'd never had too much fat on me to begin with. If you somehow manage to grow fat in the Mojave, people would probably start carving you up for bacon bits. But during the trip, the small amount of fat I'd had somehow evaporated. My body had lost some muscle mass too, but what was left was lean, hard, and meant to keep me alive. I certainly didn't feel any weaker than I once was. But if you compared me between then and now, you'd probably think otherwise. I wasn't a physical paradigm, but I looked like I could hold my own. My arms looked hard and stringy, my shoulders were wide, and you could see my abs if you looked at the right angle. All that, wrapped under a fairly pale but rosy complexion

Of course, that was assuming you could push past the scars. Or the bruising from getting shot a couple times.

I left my helmet in place. My head had stayed intact, so no rush there.

I continued my patch work by turning back to my left arm. The sooner I got that patched, the sooner I could focus on my shoulder, ribs, or one of the other dozen injuries I had tacked on.

"… What is that?" Yang asked

"What's what?" I responded, focusing on my arm.

"That, on your chest."

She pointed at my chest and I looked down. It was hard for me to look past the bruising.

"They're bruises Yang, don't get your panties in a-"

Yang flicked me in the helmet. "Not that, _that._ "

Her finger lowered until it was pointing at my bared chest. Specifically, the center of my bared chest. It took a moment to register she was pointing at one of my more… noticeable scars. It was a long, straight, hairline scar that started from my diaphragm and ran the height of my chest. What was noticeable about it though was it didn't stop at my neck. It circled around my neck and ran down a substantial portion of my spine. As well as running in the opposite direction at the back of my skull.

Leave it to the Think Tank to create the most roundabout way to rip out your innards. Screw singular, individual incisions. Instead, make a fucking road map on their skin. That's not noticeable at _all_.

"It's a scar." I grunted, returning focus to my arm.

"I noticed, but… why is it so big?"

"… There's a joke there, but I'm going to refrain."

Yang glared at me.

"What? You telling me you would've made one?"

"Will you just answer the question?" Weiss asked, clearly steeling herself.

"Fine" I grunted, trying to focus "I had some invasive surgery a while back, it left a mark. Big deal."

"But why is it so… noticeable?" Yang reiterated

"It was _very_ invasive."

"Ok, but what about the rest of them?" Weiss motioned to the rest of my scars. "I'm fairly certain most of those aren't from surgery."

"Yeah well, as we can clearly see, my aura doesn't always keep me safe."

"I don't know, man" Sun started "Even if you have a weak aura, most of those scars shouldn't be _as_ visible."

" _You_ stay out of this." I grunted

Sun held up his hands innocently.

"… unless… you don't have one." Ruby said cautiously

A silence seemed to fall over the group.

'uh oh.'

"Don't have a what?" I asked, trying to focus on my mending.

"An aura." Ruby continued "Penny did say something about you not having one…"

'How did she even know that?'

"Yeah, well, so what?" I continued struggling to focus. "It's not like it would make a difference anyway."

"… yeah it would." Yang frowned "It would make it easier for you to heal."

"… _Huh_?"

My teammates stared at me wide eyed. I looked back at them in confusion. It took me a moment to register my slip up.

"I- I mean: sure, of course it would, why wouldn't it. IT's so damn useful why wouldn't it-"

"Shut up." Weiss said shortly "Just shut up, we know you're lying now."

"Ah… well don't I look like an idiot."

My teammates and Sun all looked at one another. Obviously aware I was lying and putting the pieces together as to why. It didn't take long.

"You _don't_ have one, do you?" Ruby asked, a look of disbelief on her face.

I felt my jaw tighten for a moment. I'd officially stepped down a road I'd been trying to avoid for weeks now. Turning back was no longer an option.

"… No, I don't" I sighed angrily

My teammates went bug eyed and Yang's jaw dropped. Sun stared at me in confusion.

"Dude, what?" Sun asked "What do you mean-"

"I mean I don't fucking have one." I growled, thoroughly annoyed. "I don't have one, don't know what it is, don't know _why_ it's so damn important, and really don't have it in me to keep pretending I do right now. So unless you've got something important to say, let me tend to my wounds."

Sun leaned back a bit, looking like I nearly bit his head off. I took a breath.

"Sorry. Again, in a bit of pain right now."

I finally finished on my one arm and focused on my other shoulder. I couldn't do anything about the bruising on my torso or my aching ribs, they'd have to ache until the sun came up. I got to work cleaning the spot where one of the White Fang had grazed me.

"… You survived tonight without an aura?" Blake asked

"Yep."

"… You survived getting punched through a wall without an aura?" Ruby asked

"Mhmm."

"… You survived _initiation_ without an aura?" Yang asked with slight incredulity

"Obviously, hand me a bit of gauze Sun?"

Sun blinked and handed me some gauze from the supplies we'd been given. The rest of my teammates stared at me, something seemed to be dawning on them. I thought about it myself for a moment. I guess surviving all that I did _would_ be pretty outrageous.

"… How are you _alive_!?" Weiss nearly shouted

"Because I'm not bitch made, snowflake." I grunted "Since you're all feeling so talkative though, riddle me this: What _is_ aura?"

Weiss looked at me like I was an idiot. "… You, are easily the most infuriating, most bullheaded, most _idiotic_ person I've ever met."

"Heh, thought you'd reserved Ruby for that."

"Hey." Ruby whined

I gave her a small shrug.

"At least _she_ knows what aura is."

"Gee, why don't you fill me in then so I can even out with her?"

My teammates looked back and forth between me and Weiss, clearly stunned by recent events and trying to figure out where things were going.

Weiss took a deep breath, exhaled, and focused.

"Aura-" Weiss spoke "Is the manifestation of your soul."

"… what?"

"It bears your burdens and shields your heart. When you're hurt it tends your wounds and slows your bleeding. When you're weak, it bolsters your strength and wells your stamina. In the darkest of hours it provides a shining light as a beacon towards your survival. It's literally a huntsman or huntress' most invaluable tool!"

"… that… is the most flowery, Brahmin-shit explanation I've ever heard."

Weiss blinked "Brahmin shit?"

"I'm sorry, my _fucking soul_ is supposed to keep me safe?" I asked incredulously "It's supposed to make me stronger and guide me to safety? I know you think I'm an idiot Weiss, but I'd have to be real fucking stupid to believe that a metaphysical concept of the human afterlife has anything to do with stopping me from getting shot."

"But it can!" Ruby added

"Yea" I continued sarcastically. "-and I'm currently not bleeding out either."

My teammates looked at each other in confusion. Apparently my stubborn insistence that something as absurd as a soul couldn't protect you was baffling to them. Regardless of whether or not it even existed.

"Ok, then what do you think an aura is?" Weiss asked sharply "We clearly have them, so what are they?"

"Fuck if I know snowflake. Maybe you naturally generate a repulsive barrier of energy to keep you safe or some shit… Screw it, I don't care anymore."

"We're telling you the truth." Ruby said.

"I don't care anymore Ruby. Just let me stop bleeding first."

I returned focus to mending myself. It was getting harder, since I was working with only one arm and couldn't really move the other.

'Stupid White Fang and their fucking guns. Stupid alien world, with its weird fucking logic. Stupid teammates, and their stupid as _fuck_ reasoning. Souls? Really? Gotta think I'm stupid or some shit.'

I finished cleaning the entry point of my shoulder wound and moved to try and clean the exit. Unfortunately, that meant trying to twist my excruciatingly pained torso a good 90 degrees. While trying to reach something attached to it. It hurt immensely. Even if my ribs weren't cracked, it still would've been uncomfortable. Plus, I couldn't even get a good look at it. So I had no way of knowing if I was actually cleaning it.

This went on for several minutes.

"… C'mon." Yang whined "How long are you going to take?"

"As long as I need to, sunshine." I grunted "It's not exactly an easy spot to reach."

"You _could_ ask for help."

"Yeah, right, like I'm gonna do that."

Yang rolled her eyes and walked behind me. She ripped the alcohol swab from my fingers and began cleaning the wound more fervently.

"Hey! What-"

"Just shut up. You'll never get it cleaned right by yourself."

I felt the swab dig into the exit point and a bolt of pain stabbed through my shoulder. The alcohol only needling it further along.

"Oww!" I almost shouted "Be a bit more careful!"

"Quit being a baby." Yang growled in annoyance. "I'm trying to help."

Yang continued cleaning my wound as I sat there. I wasn't sure what was with the sudden burst of… kindness, but I wasn't going to question it. She seemed to be doing alright. It stung but that was going to happen regardless. I let Yang continue to her sudden spur of charity, as the rest of us mellowed in the events of the night. It hadn't been what anyone had expected… rather, what anyone wanted. But I'd expected it, and it still sucked for one reason or another.

I looked at Blake through the lenses of my gasmask, she looked more sullen and subdued than usual. I suppose I would too, if my whole world view came crashing in. She was starting to stare at the ground. My guess was the night was catching up with her.

'… Bite the bullet, dumbass.'

"… Hey, Blake?" I started

She didn't look up. Though if the twitch of her bow was an indicator, she was listening.

"I want you to know… I'm sorry."

"… why?" Blake asked bitterly "You were right in the end. They were responsible for everything."

"Yea, no arguments there. Especially considering the shit show tonight turned out to be."

Blake tensed in anger, it didn't take a genius to see she was still upset by it.

"But, that's not why I'm apologizing." I continued. "I'm apologizing… because what I said the other night wasn't accurate."

Blake looked up from the ground. Ruby and Weiss were sparing me a glance as well. It was time for my second helping of crow today.

"I'm not apologizing because the White Fang isn't, seemingly, little more than a band of thieves and murderers." I clarified "I'm pretty sure tonight stands as a shining example to the contrary."

Blake glared at me. I know it didn't sound like I was apologizing, but I wanted to clarify what I was apologizing for.

"I'm apologizing, because I was wrong on the one thing that actually mattered… I'm apologizing, because of you."

A look of confusion graced Blake's face.

"The other night, I said that the White Fang was a spiraling pit of spite. That their whole reason for existing was to make sure _everyone else_ got the shaft the way they did. That they've embraced this idea that they should be what the world thinks they are, and none of their members are objecting to it. Even at the cost of innocent lives."

I sighed, slowly imbibing my meal of metaphorical corvus.

"That entire argument though, was held together by a single lynch pin. The idea that they're fanatically devoted to their ideas and incapable of seeing wrong… and yet, here we are."

I motioned to the docks around us with my good arm.

"Sitting at the sight of their most recent attack, having prevented the theft of several tons of dust, having possibly avoid any loss of life, and the day basically being saved… all because one of their members had an inkling that something wasn't right. And when the truth was presented to them: that the White Fang _were_ culpable for the crimes around them, they didn't blindly deny it and fall in line. They took a stand and tried to stop it. First by peaceful means, and then by force when things took a turn."

My teammates and Sun were going wide eyed. Whether because my apology was indepth, sincere, or whatever other mushy bullshit you'd believe. I just wanted it over with.

"In the end, my argument fell apart… because of you. Because, in one fell swoop, you went and proved me wrong. Maybe the White Fang is responsible for all the shit that's happened recently. But you, you're proof that maybe… just maybe, they aren't all the monstrous animals they act like. Maybe… maybe there's something bigger going on here than we realize. That simplifying it down to just the White Fang is wrong.

I looked Blake in the eye through my gasmask. "Whatever the case, from the bottom of my heart: I'm sorry, Blake. Especially given the events of tonight."

I finished my crow and looked at my present company. Wide eyed and surprised. Acting like me apologizing was completely unexpected.

"… That was… wow." Weiss said at last.

"dang." Sun added.

I watched as Blake's expression changed. She was still sullen and impassive, there was no changing that this girl was aspiring to stoicism levels that could rival Boone's. But the change was noticeable. Her eyes softened and the faintest traces of a sad smile graced her lips. Maybe tonight was the worst night of her life. But that didn't mean I couldn't give a silver lining.

"… I still don't believe they could do this." She admitted "Even after tonight… something just isn't right."

"That's fine." I admitted "Just know that, after tonight, you're not alone in this anymore. Especially since I don't think tonight _technically_ fulfills my favor to you anyway."

Almost as if on cue, my pip-boy made its grinding proclamation. I'd check it later, when I wasn't so busy.

"But still, if there is anything I can do to make it up to you, all you gotta do is ask."

Blake pondered for a moment. Her bow perked up right and a small smirk crossed her face as she decided on something.

"Hmm… That book you leant me _has_ been pretty good." She considered aloud "I'm almost done with it though… If only I knew someone who might have some other books like it…"

"… Heh." I gave a small chuckle "It ain't like you to beat around the bush Blake… Yeah, I might have some others if you're interested."

Everyone present seemed to brighten. It seemed the storm that had been hanging over us had finally passed.

"That's _sooo_ cute~!" Yang exclaimed

"Shut up Yang." I griped

"Aw, don't be like that. It's great you two have patched things up."

"Yeah, yeah, can you finish patching _me_ up before you start the ribbing?"

"Maybe. But I think that depends on if I'm going to get my apology first."

"Apology? What for?"

"For you grabbing my boob during the fight."

A look of confusion swept over everyone. I could feel myself go rigid as I realized what she was talking about.

"… T-that was an accident."

"Mhmm." Yang agreed sarcastically.

"It was."

"Then why did you squeeze it?"

"…"

Everyone present began scrutinizing me. Except Sun, I could see he was trying to stifle a look of amusement. If I honestly had to guess, Yang had the biggest grin on her face right then. I could feel my face getting _really_ warm.

"… I have the right to remain silent."

Yang laughed and put a hand on my good shoulder. She bent over me so I could see her. She was smiling alright.

"I'm just having fun, no need to be so serious."

"… Your jokes need work."

Yang just smirked and rolled her eyes. I felt something tight wrap around my shoulder as Yang finished bandaging me.

"That's it. You should be good."

"Thank you." I grunted softly

"You're welcome." Yang smiled warmly. "… Thanks for-"

"Where's Penny?" Ruby asked

Welcoming the change of subject, my head swiveled over our group. I could remember her being with us we Yang and I had arrived. But looking around now, she'd seemingly vanished into thin air. I had no clue how she'd done it, but the strange girl had disappeared without a trace.

"She's probably just getting some water or something." I said "I'm pretty parched myself. Could go for a nice cold sarsaparilla… or a few shots of whiskey."

"I'm down." Yang smirked "I need a drink after tonight."

"Sis~" Ruby whined "Remember what you promised dad?... and me?"

"I know, I know. But I've also been keeping things in check, so don't I deserve a reward?"

'Why am I not surprised Yang is the partying type?'

"Yang~" Ruby whined

"What~" Yang teased back "It's not like I'll destroy _another_ club."

"… I'm sorry." I interrupted "Do you party so hard you _literally_ destroy buildings?"

"Do you want to find out?" Yang asked coyly

"… perhaps. Back on subject though, where _is_ Penny? It's strange that none of us noticed when she left."

"Well she does have a habit of randomly appearing." Weiss noted "Say her name enough times and she might appear behind you."

'Did… did snowflake just try to make a joke?'

"Out of the way!" A voice shouted.

From the warehouse, a pair of medics steamrolled through the door. With them, an advanced looking gurney. Affixed to it was a single White Fang member, they looked tattered and worn. Their mask was broken and blood leaked from their face.

"Get the motor running!" One of the medics shouted, angling towards what I assume was an ambulance.

"Oum in heaven! It's like someone crushed his head with a sledgehammer." A medic near the ambulance said. "The hell happened in there?"

"I don't know man, but he's the only one we're pulling out of there tonight. He's unresponsive and fading."

"Holy shit."

The medics worked in tandem and hauled the gurney into the ambulance. The doors slammed shut and the vehicle lurched away with the wail of a siren.

"Yikes." Yang said under her breath

"What the heck happened in there?" Sun asked, trying to get a good look into the warehouse. He failed, the doorway was at the wrong angle.

"I don't know." Blake said. "Whoever they are though, I hope they'll be alright."

"I wouldn't worry too much about him." I said, being as nonchalant as possible. "He had a pretty hard skull. I'm sure he'll pull through."

"… How would you know that?" Blake asked, scrutinizing me.

"uh…"

'damn it, not again.'

"I wouldn't think too much… about…"

My attempts at diverting the conversation fell on deaf ears. Or rather, they were lost to something far more important.

A car had just pulled into the docks. It wasn't a cop car either, it looked to be a personal vehicle of some kind. That wasn't really what got my attention though.

It was that Glynda Goodwitch had climbed out of it and was walking towards us.

She looked _pissed_.

Given our usual interactions, that wasn't unusual, but still.

'Ah crap.'

…

I won't go into detail about what Goodwitch did to get us back to Beacon. Or what she said that scared the bejesus out of Sun enough for him to take off. Suffice to say though, she did.

We were hauled back to Beacon like a troupe of troublesome children. Rather than just letting us get on with our night like I knew she wouldn't, she dragged us to Ozpin's office. Even after the day we'd had. She didn't even let me stop and get a shirt from my closet. Bitch.

The elevator had taken us up fairly quick. We got there and stood in front of his desk. The man himself was sitting behind his desk, staring at us contemplatively. He was completely silent.

"-in addition to being both obstructive to Vale's Judiciary system-" Glynda huffed angrily "Your actions tonight were needlessly dangerous and grounds for expulsion on any other night."

Goodwitch was not.

We were lined up in front of Ozpin's desk. I was on one end, Ruby on the other with Yang next to her. Weiss next to her and Blake next to me. Ruby stared guiltily at the floor. Weiss had averted her gaze downwards as well, but was at least trying to hide her shame. Blake appeared impassive, staring blankly ahead. Though a few physical ticks made it clear she wasn't enjoying this either. Yang was just giving her usual smirk and nodding along. Something told me she was used to getting chewed out like this.

"You should all consider yourselves _very_ lucky." Goodwitch finished "This little stunt could have very easily cost you all something much greater than a few bruises."

'No arguments there, for once.'

"I do believe that's quite enough Glynda." Ozpin finally broke in with a chuckle "I believe half an hour's worth of chastisement is more than sufficient."

Goodwitch gave Ozpin a look before giving a small sigh. She probably would've gone on grilling us for hours if Ozpin hadn't spoken up.

"What you five did tonight was commendable" Ozpin said "In a world like this, it warms my heart to know that there are still those who will not stand by while others terrorize. It's a key trait for huntsmen and huntresses to have."

My teammates relaxed slightly. Not having someone tearing into you for trying to the right thing will do that. Ruby looked up from the floor at Ozpin.

"We were only trying to help sir." Ruby said softly

"and it appears you did. Had you not been present at the docks tonight, it is very likely a large quantity of dust would have been stolen. With the recent thefts and increasing local scarcity, it goes appreciated."

Ozpin closed his eyes and a pleased smile crossed his face.

"Despite your… less than orthodox actions, you have my thanks all the same. You all did well tonight."

Ruby got this big grin on her face and looked at the rest of us. Yang gave her a pat on the back. Weiss seemed equally relieved and Blake rolled her eyes sarcastically. The compliment was appreciated by all.

"Alright then." Ruby said, trying to keep the good mood rolling. "Well I guess we should get back to our rooms then. It's been a long day and we have class in the morning. Sleep is important after all, right?"

Ruby turned to start walking away but Yang put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

'Guess she _is_ familiar with how this goes.'

"Although I agree with the decision for rest." Ozpin continued "I'm afraid we're not quite done here yet."

"Aww." Ruby said softly

"Guess you're a believer in the phrase 'no good deed' phrase, huh?" I asked

"I believe you're already aware of that." Ozpin chuckled "After all, I can't allow my students to flagrantly disregard both the laws of Vale _and_ their own safety in pursuit of what equates to vigilante justice."

Ruby returned to the line-up as Ozpin turned contemplative.

"… Though I do not wish to discourage you from acting for the betterment of others. A punishment is in order…"

Ozpin looked at the five of us. He looked to have decided on something.

"I believe that the week of summer break is right around the corner. Perhaps that would be suitable."

My teammates seemed to pale at the mention of summer. I had no clue why the season seemed to hold so much weight, but I wasn't going to look into it right now.

"But… but our break." Ruby stammered

"Will be spent here. On campus." Ozpin said sternly "It is only a week's time. But a small price to pay compared to the much larger acts committed tonight. Your punishment will begin the Monday of break and end on Sunday at dusk. Classes will resume Tuesday. I believe it is a light enough punishment, don't you?"

"Dad is going to be pissed." I heard Yang whisper

"Y-yes, sir." Ruby agreed

"Good. Now, hurry along to bed. You must be exhausted after the day you've had."

My teammates and I began to file out of Ozpin's office.

"Oh, Mister Six, a word before you retire?" Ozpin asked

My teammates gave me a look of pity as I slowed. I waved them on as I returned to where I'd been standing. Once my teammates were gone, Goodwitch locked the elevator. Ensuring the only people who were listening in were the three of us present.

"Tonight certainly was unexpected." Ozpin said "I wouldn't have imagined you'd go out of your way to help your teammates. Given the disdain you seemed to have for them at the start of the semester."

"Eh. They're growing on me." I said in a measured tone

"Apparently." Ozpin chuckled "That is not such a bad thing though. It's healthy for someone your age to have a budding social circle. Especially given your… background, so to speak."

"I have friends back home too." I grumble "Who I would very much like to get back to."

"In time, I promise we're doing everything we can. But there is something I would like to talk with you about first."

Ozpin pulled out his scroll and began working with it. He seemed to be looking for something.

"Tonight at the docks-" Ozpin started "You fought alongside your teammates in defense of the Schnee Dust Company's property from theft. Most of the dust remained on the Docks, the night was saved, and the thieves were driven off. Though capturing them may not have been an easy task."

"Yea, and?"

"And… well, there is a small wrinkle in that short-story. What you were doing during the majority of it."

Ozpin placed his Scroll on his desk enough for me to see. A recording of a familiar looking warehouse played on it. There were flashes of light just off screen. Likely gunshots, given it was from tonight.

I watched as an armor clad figure ran to the warehouse, slamming through a door and disappearing inside. It was pretty obvious it was me, the coat and gas mask were hard to mistake. I watched as the ten White Fang followed me in. The recording sped forward, and came to a stop some minutes later. I watched as I was the only one to hobble out. Clearly worse for wear than when I'd entered.

"… I would like to know why you have access to something that should probably be in police hands right now." I stated evenly

"Funny" Ozpin replied, looking at the desk "Because I wanted to know something myself. Initial reports have stated that nine bodies were found in that warehouse. A tenth, living, individual was pulled from it not long after the Police's arrival. Currently, they are being kept under close watch at Vale General Hospital… though if the reports are correct, it's unknown if or when they will regain consciousness."

Ozpin looked up from the desk, a stone cold seriousness in his eyes.

"Meaning what occurred in that warehouse is liable to remain an unsolved mystery."

I felt the air get a bit heavy. I knew where this talk was going.

"… Mister Six" Ozpin said "I am aware the world you are from if unforgiving. That it is as, if not more cruel than our own. But I feel I must ask. Do you know what happened in there?"

I looked at Ozpin through my gasmask. Thinking back on the crap that had happened in there, it brought a scowl to my face.

"… Religious mass suicide." I growled "All the crazy fuck jobs are into it."

Ozpin set his scroll down and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Mister Six-"

"No." I said, knowing the tone he was about to start with. "Don't start that fucking "higher ground" shit with me alright?"

Goodwitch glared at me. I ignored her.

"You weren't there, alright?" I continued "It was just me, in the dark, outnumbered, out gunned, and out maneuvered."

"Apparently you've never heard of irony." Glynda said softly. I _barely_ ignored her

"I was put in a bad situation where it was do or die. I made do. They weren't offering courtesy, so they got none in return."

"That is a hard way to look at it." Ozpin said evenly

"Only because that's the only option I had. You'll just have to take my word for it when I say I'm not happy about it either."

"Mister S-"

"Don't think I can't read between the lines either. A man in your position? Head of a school that trains children to fight monsters and defend humanity?"

Ozpin's eyes widened a tiny bit. He seemed to guess where I was going. I wasn't going to be lectured about this. Not from him or Goodwitch at least.

"That's quite enough." Goodwitch said sharply

"You're right." I agreed "I'm done with today anyway. If you've got nothing else to say, I'm going."

I turned and proceeded out of Ozpin's office. Neither of them tried to stop me.

…

The door to the elevator closed and the Courier proceeded away from the pair of seasoned hunters. Ozpin couldn't help but sigh in frustration at the turn the conversation had taken.

"Glynda" Ozpin sighed in frustration "I know the boy riles you, but couldn't you have picked a better time to rib him?"

"I only said what I thought needed to be." Glynda said sternly, though not defensively.

"I'd only wished to try and console him. Taking a life isn't something one should be able to do easily, regardless of the world they're from."

"It appears he has his own way of coping." Glynda answered.

"Hmm… I wonder though."

With a tap, a window opened on Ozpin's scroll. It showed the interior of the elevator as it was now. The courier leaned against the wall of the elevator, his arms folded as he stared at the floor.

Glynda moved beside Ozpin and watched the scroll. With another tap, Ozpin enabled the microphone in the elevator.

"-pid fucking Ozpin. Stupid as _fuck_ Goodwitch." The courier growled angrily

Glynda scowled at that insult.

"Probably think it was the first option on the list. Think I don't give a damn about a little blood on my hands…" The courier slumped slightly "… Probably think I'm some sort of fucking animal."

The courier went silent as he continued to slump against the wall. He stayed that way for most of the way down. Only as he was about to reach the bottom di he move again. His head seemed to pivot upward and look around the elevator cabin.

"… nah. No way they'd be listening. They don't make mikes that small… I think."

The elevator dinged and the door to the ground floor opened. The courier strolled out of the elevator and away from the building. Ozpin cut the feed.

"… I don't believe coping is the right word Glynda." Ozpin said

"…"

Ozpin sighed "I understand that you butt heads with him. But I think having a bit more tact in this situation would have been more beneficial.

"… I apologize."

"It's quite fine. Though I think you would be better off using your energy to start building better relations with the Courier. Rather than constantly butting head with him. He's not going anywhere any time soon."

"… I make no promises."

Ozpin gave a bemused chuckle.

It was interrupted by the vibration of his scroll. He'd been expecting a communique, especially after the events at the docks tonight. With a swipe of his fingers the, a screen appeared over Ozpin's desk, providing a viewport for Ozpin to speak through personally. On the opposite side, James Ironwood sat in a new age atlesian chair.

"Hello James." Ozpin spoke "I hope you've been having a good evening."

"Ozpin" General Ironwood said roughly "You know why I'm contacting you."

"Ah, so something's happened?"

"That's one way of putting it…" Ironwood leaned backward in his chair. "… The boys in the lab just finished work on some of those… 'items' you gave me."

"Judging by your demeanor, it only made things more complicated."

"Yes."

"… and?"

"and… I have no idea where to begin."

"… The beginning would be a good place."

Ironwood sighed.

"… I suppose we'll start with those drugs our 'friend' brought with him."

"Drugs?"

"Yes. After a _lot_ of testing, it's fairly safe to assume most of them are some form of narcotic."

"Wonderful." Glynda groaned

"Anything specific?" Ozpin asked

"Not anything that we could identify." Ironwood continued, picking up a clipboard from a nearby desk. "I suppose it would make sense that whatever drugs exist in our 'friend's' world would be different from ours. I guess it's a miracle that most of them had some sort of label written on them in pencil and tape. I give you the highlights of what we've got so far."

Ironwood began to scan the list, looking for a suitable starting point. It didn't take long.

"First off is one labeled 'Med-X'. This one was the most straightforward to figure out. It's some form of high strength opiate. We were able to avoid having to field human testing based on what the lab technicians were able to verify."

Ozpin nodded thoughfully "So it's a pain killer?"

"Yes, and an incredibly potent one at that."

"Did you say _human_ testing?" Glynda asked

"… Yes." Ironwood answered "Unfortunately, there were _some_ of them that we couldn't decipher based solely on their makeup. Like this next one-"

Ironwood scrolled down the list, searching for the specific object. He found it quickly.

"This one called 'Psycho'." Ironwood said with a dry chuckle "It's a fitting name."

"You tested something with a name like that on _people!_?" Glynda asked

"Well, we needed to know what it did. Plus, we couldn't decipher what it was based solely on the ingredients. In fact, the ingredients we could actually identify were mostly benign anyway."

"And this… Psycho. What did it do?"

Ironwood took a long breath. "Increased aggression, making the subject incredibly violent for a short period."

"… how violent?" Ozpin asked

"Violent enough to attempt to rip out the throat of a lab attendant."

Glynda's eyes went wide.

"Don't worry, the subject was a volunteer and had been strapped down in preparation for a situation like this. No one was harmed… initially."

"Initially?"

"Yes, there were… aftereffects. But we'll get to those in a bit. There are still some others that I feel you should know about."

"Any that didn't make the user want to eviscerate another person?" Ozpin chuckled darkly.

"A few actually. Though they still came with their own issues." Ironwood continued on the list. "The one called 'buffout' appeared to be some form of anabolic steroid, no need to test that one. Then there was another known as 'mentats' that seemed to boost the user's mental faculties temporarily. 'Rebound' that boosted the user's stamina exponentially. 'Steady' which, at first, seemed completely useless. Then turned out to actual calm a user's nerves and improve their accuracy… There is a host of others still, but these are just some of the ones we've been able to isolate ingredients in so far."

"That's quite the list."

"That's not even counting the ones that we've had to test just to discover what they do. Or the copious amounts of alcoholic beverages he was carrying. But, as I mentioned before, there is a major drawback to these."

"Let me guess." Glynda said flatly "They're highly addictive?"

Ironwood laughed mirthlessly. "I suppose calling them drugs was a bit of a giveaway?"

"How bad were the aftereffects?" Ozpin continued

" _Bad_. In the lighter cases, the test subjects were left craving more. In the worst, they were exceedingly violent and left with some form of debilitating side effect. Lowered perceptiveness, loss of aquity in movements, or degraded mental functions. Some to the point where they needed to be sedated until we could find an appropriate remedy or treatment."

"And we wonder why our friend has some odd tendencies." Glynda snarked

"Were there any among them that _didn't_ yield any negative effects?" Ozpin asked

"There were several in fact." Ironwood said, regaining a small bit of levity "One of them even lead to the proper treatment of some of the others."

"Well then, they must be quite useful."

"More than you'd expect. There was this one recurring style of them called 'stimpacks'. Unlike the rest of them, they appear to have been something of an official medication rather than a crude means to get high. Much more uniform and using a standardized design."

"Interesting, and what did they do?"

"They healed people." Ironwood chuckled

"Healed?"

"Yes, and I'm not being figurative either. While we couldn't identify the specific make ups of the ingredients, their actual effect was something to behold."

Ironwood set the clipboard back onto the desk and retrieved a syringe that was waiting there. It had a white casing and a large metallic disk at the top. The disk had a red cross emblazoned onto it.

"When used on healthy or uninjured subjects, they had seemingly no effect." Ironwood continued "It wasn't until we noticed a few patients' were having scabs flake off of them or having wounds close altogether we figured out what it was."

Ozpin leaned closer to the view port. Intrigued by this development.

"From what we were able to gather, these 'stimpacks' boost the body's natural ability to heal itself to an astonishing degree. Bruising disappears almost instantaneously. Lacerations would close in a matter of minutes without scarring. Broken bones would be mended in a matter of _minutes_."

"Amazing."

"What's more, if the drug was concentrated on a specific area, the effects seemed to nearly _triple_."

"So our friend was carrying around a medicine that could effectively prevent someone from dying with a single injection." Glynda surmised "That helps to explain how he survived a world like what he claims."

"Only partly." Ironwood continued "From what the tests show, the effects were only temporary. While the healing process would be boosted for a short time, it does not necessarily need to _finish_ it. Despite being powerful, it is far from perfect."

"Though amazing none the less." Ozpin agreed "Is that what cured your men of their 'side effects'?"

"No, that was another drug altogether labeled 'fixer'. Still not sure on the specifics, but it appeared to be a hormone blocker of some kind. Can't be addicted to something if your mind doesn't register a craving."

"Despite all that you've gathered" Glynda cut in "You can't identify what they're made of?"

"Not in the slightest. Despite how crude and… antiquated most of the items you sent appear, everything about them is far from it. To quote the techs: 'The ratios, methods, and compounds are decades ahead of anything we've currently managed'."

"So synthesis would be impossible without some degree of training?" Ozpin enquired.

"Unfortunately." Ironwood agreed "I'm all for having more weapons in this fight of ours. But creating more of what we've seen, or even better versions of them, is something we just aren't capable of right now. Even with the most advanced of atlas technologies."

"Hm hm." Ozpin chuckled softly "Are you sure you should be telling me that James? I would assume something like that would be considered a state secret."

"Only if it were possible for someone else to produce it on a grand scale." Ironwood replied with a chuckle of his own.

"What about those specimens I had sent to you, did they shed any light?"

"Heh, they did, actually. The techs said that some of the plant's materials seemed to be unrefined or cruder versions of the compounds found in the medicine and drugs. Unfortunately, that's all we could find out. Every attempt at replication so far has been an abysmal failure it seems."

"So in the end, the only one who might know how to replicate any of them… would be our 'friend'."

"Probably." Ironwood sighed "Which, if he's anything like what you and Glynda have described, means we won't be getting _any_ information out of him without tricking, lying, or stealing it from him."

"I'm hoping not." Ozpin replied solemnly "Day by day, he seems to be wearing down. Growing more accustomed to this world. Maybe sometime soon, he'll make the decision to stay, rather than return. If his own world is as horrific as he claims, he has no reason to."

"… But he still believes he will, doesn't he?"

"…"

"You have to tell him Ozpin."

"… You're certain there's no way for Atlas to return him?"

Ironwood sighed "Yes, unfortunately. Whatever brought him here is likely as advanced as everything else he has shown us. If we could at least _look_ at the device in question, we'd have somewhere to start. But your insistence on keeping him in the dark about his situation makes that difficult."

"I am aware James… Better he be in the dark than out there though. He may not be our enemy, but that doesn't mean she won't see him as one. Or find a way to make him see us the same."

Ironwood rubbed his eyes, he was tired and it was beginning to show.

"I suggest you rest James." Ozpin said "You've got a long journey between Atlas and here. It wouldn't do for the general to look half dead as he leads his troops."

"Agreed." Ironwood gave a tired smirk. "We'll continue this conversation after I reach Vale. If you intend to get him home, you'll need a more proactive approach than what you've given so far. Or else it might blow up in your face."

"I am fully aware my friend. Sleep well."

With a small wave, the connection was severed and the viewport closed. Ozpin leaned backwards in his chair. Rubbing a hand over his face. It had been a long day.

"He isn't wrong." Glynda said softly

"I know he's not. But this a game of careful movements and plans. Even a small mistake means disastrous consequences."

"Then, if I may be so bold? I think you should start planning faster."

Ozpin gave a tired chuckle as response.

The courier was proving to be almost as much of a problem as he was a potential boon. For all the prowess, knowledge, and power he brought with him, he brought something else as well: chaos. He seemed to only act when he saw fit, chose who he fought with and for how long, and wasn't afraid to use whatever means were at his disposal to do it. He wasn't what one would call 'evil' or even 'bad' by most people's standards. But he wasn't afraid to rail against those who he deemed unfit, regardless of position. If given motivation, he would seemingly tear them down like it wasn't any more than another chore.

It made his choice of artifact from initiation surprisingly more apt the more Ozpin thought about it. Many assume pawns in chess are worthless pieces. A weak and slow piece that could only attack in a limited way and was doomed to die at the start. Yet, given the opportunity, they could grow to become the most powerful pieces in the game. Changing the landscape of a game and shifting the tides when things seemed darkest. Regardless of whose side wielded them.

To quote a similar theme: The courier was a wild card.

An unknown that could turn the tides, if given a chance. For better or worse, Ozpin did not know.

A faint chiming drew Ozpin's attention from his thoughts. With a tap, his scroll opened to reveal a message from another of his friends.

A message from Qrow Branwen:

'Queen has pawns.'

A simple and troubling message.

But for some reason, it didn't feel as troubling as it should have.

* * *

 **That's a wrap folks, epilogue to follow. Sorry for the wait, Was it worth it? Hell if I know.**

 **IlliterateLibrarian935: Hope this wasn't too long of a wait.**

 **Fuzzy Idioms: Nope. He's too poor for implants and his meds were all confiscated. See above for more details**

 **Guest(1): Eh, I got better. Also is it at all weird I find the idea of it being called a Six-fix funny?**

 **ShadyXLR: Well I hope they were good enough... for now.**

 **Guest(2): Duly noted. I'll make sure he fills up a morgue next time.**

 **What the fuck is: It's a Fallout and RWBY crossover of questionable quality.**

 **Well then, I suppose that about does it for right now. As usual: thoughts, comments, ramblings, reviews, jokes, general mayhem, and misc. are welcome.**

 **This fanfic was brought to you by the Vale Police Department: We're still relevant, dammit.**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	17. V1 Epilogue: Waiting in the Wings

Special thanks to Mecharic again for Beta-reading

* * *

With all the speed and vigor of a group of slugs, the exhausted members of team RWBY returned to their dorm room. The events of the past day having taken their toll from the group of teenagers.

"Bed!" Ruby shouted, clambering into her bunk and collapsing on top of the comforter.

"I am very close to agreeing with you." Weiss said, seating herself daintily on her bunk. "But I think it would be prudent to not fall asleep in the same clothes we've been fighting in."

"Sleep~" Ruby droned groggily.

"I can't believe Ozpin took away our summer break though." Yang groaned, sitting on her own bunk "This sucks."

"It's still better than getting expelled." Weiss countered "Also, language."

"I was looking forward to seeing dad." Ruby agreed

"Well, Patch isn't _too_ far away. Maybe dad will miss us and come visit." Yang supplied

"I'm more upset about not being allowed to leave campus." Blake said, lying on her bed with book in hand.

"Well we _technically_ can leave campus." Yang said with a smirk "As long as we don't get caught."

"As displeased as I am with our punishment, I'll stay on campus thank you very much." Weiss said "You and that impulsive idiot may not have a problem with skirting around Ms. Goodwitch's wrath, But I'd rather keep my record from any further trouble."

"After tonight, I don't think you'd have a perfect record anymore." Blake said playfully

"That's why I said any _further_ trouble."

"Psh, stick in the mud." Yang chuckled

"Stick in the mud!?"

"Yeah, it's no fun if there's no risk."

"Have you ever _tried_ doing something that doesn't put you danger?"

"No, why would I? It sounds boring."

Weiss rubbed her face. "You _are_ as bad as that idiot."

"At least she isn't hiding anything." Ruby pouted groggily.

"Hiding anything?" Blake asked

Ruby blinked, her tired demeanor vanishing as she realized what she just admitted.

"I-I mean… nothing! Going to sleep now!"

The crimson huntress flipped over in her bed and played possum. Hoping in some vain belief her teammates wouldn't bother her.

"Ruby~" Yang continued to smirk "Is there something you want to tell us?"

"No~" Ruby said in an airy voice, attempting to emulate the sounds of sleep. "I'm sleeping~"

Yang stood from her bed, crossed the room, and reached up to her younger sister's bunk. With minimal effort and infinite care, Yang ripped her sister from her bunk and held her overhead.

"ACK!" Ruby squawked ungracefully "Yang! Put me down!"

"Not until you tell me what you're hiding!" Yang said, walking around the room while bouncing her sister up and down.

"Stop! Weiss, help!"

"Don't drag me into this." Weiss said "You're the one who said that he's hiding something."

"Oh! So you both know something?" Yang chuckled menacingly

Before Weiss could react, Yang dropped Ruby to her feet. Dipping down, the blonde brawler pulled both her sibling and the white clad huntress into a headlock.

"Ruby, you dunce!" Weiss choked out "Let me go Yang!"

"Not until you two tell the truth!"

"Blake, help!" Ruby struggled "You're our only hope!"

"I'm not getting involved in this." Blake said, continuing to lie on her bunk with her book.

"Traitor!"

"C'mon~" Yang teased "what is it?"

Ruby continued to struggle for freedom.

Weiss struggled with less success.

"Ok! Ok! I'll tell you!" Ruby finally said

With a content smile, Yang released her teammates. "So, what is it? What's the secret?"

Ruby glared at her sister, while she in turn received a glare from Weiss.

"… Six-" Ruby sighed "… might not be who we think he is."

"… ok?" Yang asked confused

"… Do you remember a few weeks ago, during the field trip to the forever fall?"

"You mean the one where Cardin wet himself?" Yang chuckled

"He _didn't_ wet himself." Ruby corrected

"Huh?"

"… do you remember that conversation we had while collecting the sap. About how… weird, Six is?"

"Yea… guess he's a bit weirder than we thought, huh?"

"It's not just that. During the field trip, something happened."

"What?"

"When Cardin was… attacked by that Ursa, he wasn't alone. Jaune was there with him. Weiss and I don't know why, but I don't really think that matters right now."

"Ok…"

"After Jaune killed the Ursa, he said something about leaving him and his friends alone, then headed back to the clearing where we'd been told to stay."

"That's cool, I guess."

"But then Six showed up afterwards, Remember how he'd run off into the woods before that? I think Cardin had something to do with that."

"Ok, but what does that have to with Six hiding something?"

"It doesn't, it's just… After Jaune left, Six showed up and knocked Cardin to the ground. Then he started kicking him and threatened to shoot him if he didn't 'straighten out'."

Yang went wide eyed. Blake diverted her attention from her book at last.

"Ok, um, wow."

"But that's not just it. Before that, he said some things, about where he came from. About how he's from a 'wasteland', full of people worse than Cardin. How it'd be 'easy' for him to make it look like the Ursa killed Cardin."

"That's… actually kind of scary." Blake admitted

"But there was something else." Ruby continued "The way he talked about it, he made it seem like it wasn't the first time he'd… You know. He made it sound like whatever the 'Mojave' is, it's some sort of nightmarish wasteland."

"He also mentioned that whole 'burned man' story as well." Weiss added

"Burned what?" Blake asked, receiving no answer.

Yang stared stunned at her sister and teammate. "… So what you're saying is that Six claimed to have killed people and that he _might_ be lying about where he's from… Why didn't you guys say something sooner?"

"… We were worried that you wouldn't be able to keep it a secret." Weiss stated

Yang gave Weiss a look.

"-and maybe not that last part." Ruby said, trying to keep the conversation on track "He never did say what kind of place the Mojave is."

"… He did though." Weiss said, realizing something

"What? When?"

"This morning, when he told us that story." Weiss continued "He seemed to change his mind about something part way through. It was small, almost unnoticeable. But the more I think about it, the more it starts to slide into place."

"So… what?" Yang asked "He wasn't just making up a story to get you to stop being all stuck up?"

"Hey!"

Ruby fell silent for a minute thinking over the things Six had said that day.

"… A wasteland, where only the worst type of people live… That does sound like the place he was describing this morning."

"Barring a better explanation of this story you keep talking about." Blake said, starting to turn her attention back to her book. "That wouldn't change the fact that it's still just a story. None of us know where the Mojave is, or what it's like. Maybe he is lying but that doesn't change the fact that we've got nothing to prove it."

"Then maybe we _should_ start looking into it." Weiss insisted "He keeps bringing it up and dropping it like it's some great big secret. After today, I've had enough with secrets for a while. Maybe we can spend our break trying to find out the truth instead. But tonight, I want to sleep."

"I'd be careful with that." Blake said, turning a page in her book. "If you start digging into his secrets he's liable to… to…"

"Blake?" Yang asked, turning to her teammate.

Blake sat up on her bed and turned to the edge of it. She set the book on her legs and brushed her fingers over something on its pages.

"…What?" Blake asked, staring at the pages

"What is it?" Yang asked, walking to her teammate "You find something juicy in th- _whoa_."

Yang loomed over the book, staring down at the object of her partner's attention. Her hand landed on the page of the book and retrieved the object.

"What is it Yang?" Ruby asked, moving to get a better look

Held in Yang's hand was a sliver of paper, barely a few inches big. The team of young huntresses congregated around the slip of paper.

Around the photograph they'd discovered.

It displayed a collection of people, all dressed in odd clothing. A red haired woman in rancher wear. A dour looking man in baggy clothing. A young girl, smiling brightly in a frilly dress. A man, dressed like a mechanic, whose skin looked like melted cheese. Another man, wearing a motorcycle helmet and leather armor.

A blue giant dressed in overalls.

A dog, whose brain was exposed through a metal case.

An antiquated robot, that hovered in the air.

The picture was taken at an odd angle, as though someone had been holding it to include themselves in it. They all stood within a pristine lounge, decorated as if it were from some by-gone era.

Beyond it, viewed easily through the massive windows that encompassed the lounge, a world of desolation. Decrepit buildings and crumbling roadways. Craters and sun bleached sands.

A burned world.

The girls of team RWBY stared wordlessly at the image, certain they knew who it belonged to.

"Holy crap." Weiss said

…

I finished drying off and pulled my helmet back on. I'd had to remove my bandages so I could take a shower, but I wasn't worried about that. My wounds were all mostly clotted now and were going to be healed by tomorrow anyway. A good night's sleep and some time in the sun are the best medicine the doctor could prescribe.

Well, not really, a stimpack and a fifth of whiskey would much more appreciated. But beggars can't be choosers.

"-Police are still searching for the one bullhead that managed to escape the docks tonight, following the attempted theft of the recent dust shipment by the Schnee Dust Company. Though they're currently keeping any details under wraps." The voice on my pip-boy said "We'll keep you all up to date as we learn more."

'Bullhead? Is that what these people call those Verti-bird rejects?'

"I think it's time for some more of that chart topping sensation, Casey Lee Williams. Up next is her first major hit, and one we are all _very_ familiar with by this point: 'This Will Be The Day'. I'm Roost Carnelian, stay tuned."

The voice cut out and an unfamiliar instrument took over the airwaves. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. It was metallic and angry, deep and rumbling. Like someone had amplified an acoustic guitar in the bottom of Ruby cave. Sharp and shallow drums followed it, playing in tandem with the beat of my heart and throb of my leg. The voice of a girl came in with it, steady and strong.

"They see you as small and helpless. They see you as just a child. Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild!"

I pulled my pajamas on and walked out of the bathroom. Most everybody was either on their way to bed or already asleep, so the dorm's hallways were mostly empty. For the small amount of courtesy I felt willing to afford everyone, I turned down the volume of the radio.

"Prepare for your greatest moments, prepare for your finest hour! The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower!"

I walked down the hall to my closet.

"Weeee aaaaare Liiiiiightning! Straying from the thunder, miracles of ancient wonder!"

I walked into my closet and shut the door.

"This will be the day we've waited for, this will be the day we open up the door! I don't want to hear your absolution, hope you're ready for a revolution! Welcome to a world of new solutions, welcome to a world of bloody evolution! In time, your heart will open minds, your story will be told, and victory is in a simple soul!"

'… This music really isn't that bad, why don't we have anything like this in the Mojave?'

I took a seat on my cot and relaxed for a moment. A lot had happened today and I was ready to go to sleep. But I wanted to try and digest everything first.

"You're world needs a great defender, your world's in the way of harm. You want some romantic life, A fairy tale that's full of charm!"

Blake was a faunus. I killed nine, possibly ten, people tonight. There was very likely an organized crime syndicate of some kind outside of the White Fang planning something sinister for Vale. And I'd been outted as an idiot.

'Psh, what else is new.'

To top it all off. Ozpin still hadn't gotten me anywhere near being home yet. It was going to be close to three months since I'd gotten trapped here soon. If I didn't find a way back soon, I was liable to do something stupid. All I could do was hope the NCR hadn't stormed the place in the time since I'd been absent…

I reached for the box of supplies I kept under my cot. Amidst the cans and boxes of food, sat a litany of other items. Loose shotgun shells, bobby pins, glass bottles, and the like. The only thing missing was _that_ picture I'd lost. The one I'd very much like to get back. Sitting on top of all that though, was the TPPT. The stupid hunk of scientific mumbo-jumbo that had gotten me into this mess.

I pulled it out and held it in my hands.

"Beware that the light is fading, beware as the dark returns. This world's unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn!"

I pulled the trigger.

"Leeeegeeeennnds Scaaaaatteeerr!"

The device beeped unpleasantly and the tube flashed red. The Error message that had been the start of my tenure in this world scrolled across it again.

"Worth a shot." I grumbled

"Day and night will sever, Hope and peace and lost forever!"

I dropped the TPPT back into the box and settled into my cot. I was finally calling today done. My _everything_ hurt, I was tired, and I wasn't going to feel any better until the sun came up. The only solace I could take was that things couldn't get any worse than they were now. Sure, I was embroiled in some vigilante/monster hunting Brahmin shit that made zero sense to me. But at least I didn't have the troubles from back home breathing down my neck.

"Weee arrrre liiiightning! Welcome to a world of new solutions-"

As far as I was concerned, I might as well have been on vacation right now.

"This will be the day we've waited for, this will be the day we open up the door!"

I didn't have the NCR breathing down my neck, the dam wasn't crumbling around my ears, and the whole of Vegas was a world away. I didn't have to play leader right now.

"I don't want to hear your absolution, hope you're ready for a revolution."

'No remnant legionnaires, no drug addled raiders, not even the occasional rogue brotherhood regiment to contend with.'

"Welcome to a world of new solutions, welcome to a world of bloody evolution!"

I let my eyes slide shut, letting sleep slowly grip my tight.

"In time, your heart will open minds!"

'… perhaps best of all-' I thought with a smile

"Your story will be told!"

'-I don't have the Think Tank breathing down my neck.'

"And victory is in a simple soul!"

'…'

I bolted upright in my cot. I could feel a cold sweat starting to cover my body.

"Oh fffffffuck me, what happened to Dala?"

* * *

 **That's all folks! Volume One is done!**

 **I honestly didn't think I'd actually make it to this point. I thought I'd get discouraged about halfway through and drop the whole thing. I just want to give a quick thanks to all you guys, gals, and apache helicopters who are reading this. You make it worthwhile.**

 **thepkrmgc: Not yet, kinda hard to notice if somebody has metal lining their innards without some very _personal_ investigation**

 **Rio Skyron: I find it funny that I never got into that series and some how still managed to attribute something from it onto another Rooster Teeth series. Don't know whether that says something about me, or the writers. Short answer is yes.**

 **Johnny Mash: Well, they are a literal world away. That does kinda make it hard.**

 **NightmareKnight01, egyptioncaml, and all other concerned individuals: On the off chance this ending left you unsure, yes the madness will continue. Getting this far was just the first milestone. I can't say for sure how far it will go, but I intend to take a stab at it and see what happens.**

 **On that note however, I will be taking a small break. Namely just so I can get my ducks in a row and (hopefully) start work on other projects. I will return to this though, so it's not dead yet.**

 **I think that covers everything. If not, I'm sure I'll be back. As usual: thoughts, comments, reviews, ramblings, bad jokes, general mayhem, and misc. are welcome.**

 **This fanfic was brought to you by Big Mountain Project Solutions. When you have a problem, know that you can always turn to SCIENCE!**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	18. Intermission 1: Questions in the Way

_*special thanks to Mecharic for beta-reading*_

"The NCR has no need for your talents, sir." Crocker said, not looking up from his paperwork. "I must ask you to refrain making such assumptions."

I stood in Crocker's office. The unlit back room of a dingy building had allowed the NCR to occupy as a show of 'good will'. A building that acted as both an Embassy and drunk tank for the MPs to throw people into before the Securitrons got ahold of them. Say what you will about the NCR, at least they knew better than to let a foreign power have its say on their citizens. That didn't mean they were stopping them from filling the Strip's coffers, but still.

I stood in front of Crocker's desk specifically. He was flanked on either side with the aforementioned MPs. Likely to act as his personal guard should some drunkard escape the tank.

"… Brahmin Shit!" I near shouted "With all the crap I've done for you guys it's pretty easy to see you're lying through your teeth."

I saw the MPs get tense. Likely measuring if I was planning to attack Crocker. Overactive bastards.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to." Crocker said, still disinterested

"Don't know what I'm referring to!?"

"Yes, no need to play parrot."

I glared at Crocker through my motorcycle helmet.

"… Alright, how about defending Goodsprings from a Powder Ganger raid?" I asked angrily "You know, the convicts you people decide to give dynamite?"

"Goodsprings is an outside entity to the NCR." Crocker continued "While we do hope for the safety of all settlements outside of our jurisdiction. Unless they were to join our republic, we hold no responsibility to or for them."

I gaped at Crocker for a moment. "… Alright, what about Primm? The town whose leaders were massacred by the Powder Gangers? I helped you to bring law to them!"

"Primm was brought into the republic through the efforts of Lieutenant Royce Hayes. Though his report mentions the usage of an outside contractor, all credit and merit is under his name."

"I was that contractor!" I shouted, outraged

The MPs tensed further, I was likely starting to come off as threatening.

"-And I'm certain the lieutenant compensated you accordingly." Crocker continued

"What about Mojave outpost?" I asked "I'm the reason you guys even know about what happened in Nipton, Hell, I killed Vulpes Inculta! I have his Ripper and Stupid ass hat to prove it!"

The MPs shared a look, they apparently hadn't heard about what'd happened to the dog headed legionnaire.

"Articles of clothing and weapons are hardly proof of another's demise, sir. If they were, we wouldn't have scouts constantly on the lookout for Joshua Graham despite his… fall from grace."

I felt my fists tighten into balls of taut flesh and hardened bone.

"And before you continue-" Crocker continued "Just as with Lieutenant Hayes and Ranger Jackson, Every other person who has reported in has received credit for work done, though still claiming to have aid from an outside contractor. The hostage situation at Boulder City included."

I continued glaring at Crocker. Feeling absolutely furious that all the work I'd done had basically amounted to Jack-shit. But that did leave me with one question.

"Then why the fuck did you send for me!?" I shouted

The MPs both looked at Crocker, who in turn set down his papers and rubbed his forehead.

"It appears you've never heard of the concept of tact." Crocker sighed

"And you've never heard of giving people straight answers." I growled

"No, I have. I'd just hoped you'd choose a better time for this conversation. Hoped that you would pick up on the things I'm trying to tell you."

I looked to both of the MPs, they looked ready to throw me out.

"So, before I have my attendants throw you out." Crocker spoke in a measured tone "Why don't you see yourself out? Go enjoy your freedom, maybe catch a show at the Aces. Maybe go get a drink. Anything, before I need to have them throw you into a cell." Crocker looked me in the eye. Though he probably couldn't tell through the visor of the helmet. "Do I make myself clear?"

I glared at Crocker for a moment, the gears grinding in my head.

"… Yea, whatever." I growled

I saw myself back out of the hovel he called an office.

…

I sat in the Aces Theater for a good eight hours before Crocker showed up. There are worse ways to kill time, so I was willing to stay patient. I spent it drinking and enjoying the show. Hadrien's heckler shtick got old after a while, But Bruce and the Rad pack were always good in my book. I still had one of Tommy Torini's cards hanging around in my pocket. I'd been looking for someone to pawn it off on, but so far I hadn't found anyone worthwhile. I'd even tried the King, but you'll have to take my word for his singing.

The lonesome drifter was just getting keyed in when Crocker crept in. I almost didn't even notice him. Of course, he also made it so blatant he was not trying to draw attention to himself he succeeded in the opposite. He took a seat at the bar beside me and gave a weary sigh.

"This would have been exceptionally easier if you had just set up an appointment." Crocker sighed, motioning to the bartender for a drink.

I had a few remarks I could've made in response. But I had a feeling I was going to get my answer shortly anyway.

Crocker got his drink, rye with a splash of nuka and a smashed agave pod, and took a generous sip from it.

"… The NCR-" Crocker said, setting the glass down. "- Cannot admit to the assistance of an unofficial outside contractor. Cannot being the operative word."

"Hmph, afraid you'll get made fun of?"

"Yes." Crocker answered earnestly and bitterly "Imagine this, one man doing what an entire army can't. Solving problems that should take entire regiments weeks, in a matter of days. Showing that all the man power at our disposal is worthless in the face of one postal worker with a chip on his shoulder."

"… oh."

"Yes, oh. Adding into that the fact that you never stuck around to be formally recognized, much to my superior's relief, and there's little reason for the NCR to want your help."

"… Publicly." I supplied

Crocker looked at me out of the corner of his eye and smirked. "Good, you're catching on." Crocker downed the rest of his drink and motioned for a refill. "Now that you and I have 'conversed', so to speak, it's easier for us to spin things in our favor… I've been watching you."

"creepy."

"Not like that. I've had our ranger's keeping tabs on you. I needed to make sure you weren't just making nice for some… other reasons. I'm well aware of your value as an asset to the NCR. But because of all of the Bureaucracy, I've never had an opportunity to have you be formally recognized-"

"And spin the PR in everyone's favor." I surmised

"Exactly. I'm well aware of what you can do, and I'm well aware of how badly we need your help. Kimble, Oliver, and Moore won't admit how tense things are, or how bad we need the help. But I'm here, and from everything I've heard from the scouts and rangers that report in you are a, quote: "Foulmouthed saint given credence to wipeout everything in front of you.""

I gave Crocker a funny look. "Who the hell said that?"

"One of our Ranger teams near Novac. They said you tore through a squad of legion assassins and one of their raiding parties with nothing but a machete and a service rifle."

"Oh, That. I remember that, I had a friend with me who was a good shot. He deserves most of the credit for that one."

"Regardless." Crocker continued "I can see the value in you as an asset."

The Bartender finished mixing Crocker another drink and Crocker took another swig.

"… So where does that leave us?" I asked

"It leaves us here." Crocker said tapping the bar "Officially, the NCR will never recognize you. For all the good you're doing, I know you'll never be given credit for it. Kimble and Oliver would sooner invite Caesar for drinks than do so."

"… But they recognize you."

"And they recognize the people I speak with." Crocker continued smirking. "All of the work you've done until now, it's never going to be put under your name. You'll never get credit for it. What you do from here on, however, counts."

"Fucking brilliant." I groaned "All that work for jack shit."

"Not 'jack shit', a chance. If you're truly looking to help us, then now's your chance to prove it."

"Where the hell would I even start?" I asked "There's not exactly a list of places that I haven't been yet, and tracking down work for them would be a royal pain."

"Hm hm, luckily I can help in that regard. In fact, I think I know a place that's in need of someone with your skillset."

"… I'm listening."

…

I heard my alarm chiming and wanted to ignore it. But the instant I was disturbed, my brain snapped to attention. I was surprised I'd even managed to fall asleep, given the revelation I'd had not even a moment after I'd laid down. But after everything I'd been through, with the dull aches that I still felt throughout my body, maybe it wasn't as surprising.

I eased myself upright, feeling my joints pop in protest at being moved. A goodnight's rest was just what the doctor had ordered, I felt almost perfect. The few remaining aches in my bones would subside eventually. By noon I'd probably be fighting fit and ready to tear into whatever lay ahead.

In the meantime though:

"… Graham dammit you fucking idiot." I groaned "How the fuck did you forget about Dala!?"

I resisted the urge to flop back onto my cot in exasperation at my own stupidity. I was beyond upset with myself at how I'd allowed something like this to slip past my attention.

'She's a brain in a floating jar, how the fuck do you lose track of that!?'

I felt ready to plow my head through the wall. Of all the shit I was allowed to forget, forgetting about Dala had been at the top of the opposite list. The 'Do not forget or suffer torture of the Teddy Bear and pseudo sexual variety' list. The list that existed for the sole purpose of me not subjecting some poor schmucks to the shit the Think Tank was capable of. It wasn't a hard list to remember either, considering most of the time I just kept them locked up in the Big Empty. Lo and behold the one time I take one of them out of it, I completely forget about them. I'd even been planning to shoot her to avoid the off chance of her actually causing harm.

I was trying very hard to keep from panicking. I'd been through worse situations in the past, last night being a stellar example. But unlike last night, this was compounded with the fact that I wasn't the only one in danger now. If Dala was out there, everyone was fair game regardless of whether or not they deserved it.

I took a deep breath and steeled my nerves. I needed to focus and stay that way. If I started to let myself wander I'd wind up worse for it. I needed to figure out a way to find Dala and lying in bed wasn't a solution. I couldn't expect for her to just appear in front of me if I willed it hard enough.

'… but maybe I can get the next best thing.'

I stared down at my pip-boy. The cheery visage of Vault boy a mocking parody of my current feelings.

This thing had helped me keep track of and find 'quests' in the past. Maybe I could buck the system and trick it into working in my favor. It seemed to be voice activated, so maybe if I said a few random phrases I could at least get a starting point.

It was a long shot, but if it worked I'd at least have some peace of mind.

"Ok." I say, trying to think of a few things to say. "Let's start simple: 'Find Dala.'"

Nothing.

"…'Locate Dr. Dala?'"

Again, nothing."

"…. 'Track down the brain in the jar?'"

Still nothing.

"… Create a quest that lets me find Dala." I growled angrily "Or so help me, I will part you out for scrap you computerized turd."

My pip-boy did nothing.

I sighed heavily.

'Calm down Six, it's a pip-boy. For all the bells and whistles, it's not like it's got an AI bound to it.'

I was going to have to revisit this approach later. It was the most immediate option I had that stood the highest probability of success. In the meantime though, I needed to try something different and hopefully get some results. I had no clue how to find Dala, but that didn't change that I needed to. I could only shudder at what would happen if I didn't.

I reached for my box of supplies and began pulling some food out. I started with some coffee grounds. Pouring some water from my canteen into a tin kettle and I started warming it on my hotplate. The coffee took a few minutes to brew, and I didn't have an effective means to pull the grounds back out. But I was used to drinking something with a bit of grit to it.

I poured the bitter brew into a mug and lifted my helmet to take a swig.

"… wait, what time is it?"

I checked the clock on my pip-boy and did a double take, nearly choking on my coffee.

"Aw hell, I'm late!"

I began peeling myself out of my pajamas and struggling to put on my uniform. A small part of me welcomed the distraction of schooling in place of my other troubles. Though I knew that just meant I was putting it off until later. I needed a solution to Dala's issue, but it wasn't going to appear out of thin air.

I belted on my pants, tied my shoes, and bolted out the door. My shirt, tie, and jacket still needed attention, but I had an undershirt and I could put them on while running.

I bolted out my door and narrowly avoided running head first into Yang.

She and my teammates seemed to be waiting outside of my door. Which was strange, considering Snowflake should've been rushing them to get to class on time.

"Uh- H-hey, Six." Ruby said "We need to talk-"

"Talk later-" I said, already wheeling down the hall "We're running late."

Before I let them respond, I turned and ran down the hallway. I cut around a corner and ran for the stairwell. After descending the stairs and busting through the doors separating the dorms from the outside world I began pulling my shirt on. I was no stranger to changing clothes on the fly, and had gotten pretty adept at it.

I'd just pulled on the uniform's jacket when I'd been forced to cut through a small group of people. A group consisting of a giant, a scar riddled blind man, and a pair of ladies I was familiar with.

"Morning Ladies." I said as I weaved past them, shirt unbuttoned and billowing. I fixed that as I pushed onward. I couldn't afford to be late, not to this class. For once, it wasn't even because of Goodwitch. Goodwitch would've been preferable, actually. She's a bitch but I could at least count on her to be somewhat… standardized. There are only so many ways you can be an uptight jackass after all.

My other oppressor on the other hand…

I got my tie knotted unevenly as I skated into the biology lab. Not a second before the class started. I found a seat and settled in as my teammates skated in just behind me.

…

Professor Jaime Peach was not a woman of stature. By comparison, she was perhaps the smallest member of Beacon's educational staff. Falling just a hair's breadth shorter than Professor Port. She had a short bob of hair tucked neatly behind her head in a blossoming bun, all of it the shade of… well, a peach. She had skin the color of fresh tree bark and eyes the vibrant green of fresh leaves. Her mouth small and her nose hooked a bit upward. She had a hard to describe charm to her, akin to something one would feel for… a house plant perhaps?

I said it was hard to describe, sue me.

All of that was overshadowed, however, by the fact that she was dressed in grimy and mud coated clothing. From personal experience, I knew it was from being up early and tending the various gardens on the grounds and not from burying bodies. Bodies make bad fertilizer anyway. Consider Peach was also what amounted to the only member of staff who could qualify as being "scientifically inclined". She, summarily, was also the teacher for all courses pertaining to: Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Computer sciences, Health studies, First aid, and as was obvious to those present, Biology. Not Grimm biology mind you, just generalized biology. All of which probably explained the massive bags encompassing slightly bloodshot eyes.

"Now I understand that most of you do not appreciate These classes for what they are." Peach said evenly "I've heard it a million times in one form or another. But I'll put it simply: What is the point of taking this class?"

"Is there even one?" Cardin said, just loud enough for a few people to chuckle at his shitty joke.

"So, I'll tell you all now." Peach continued, gaining a bright edge to her voice. "While it may serve no purpose here, out in the field it never hurts to be in the know. Having even a modicum of information on your side can turn a dire situation into a far more favorable one."

Peach moved from her position at the front of the lab and over towards a window at the side of the room.

"Knowing which plants are edible means spending less nights hungry, knowing where water is safest to drink means less chance of dying from thirst. And, of course in the case of biology, knowing how to interact with your environment can not only make this easier, but can provide possibilities you may have never considered."

Peach leaned against the window and looked at the class.

"That was the purpose of this class. To help you understand that knowing the world around you is perhaps the biggest step towards surviving more than just a fight with the enemies of man. It's a step towards being able to survive without having to struggle for it. Towards growth in all regards…"

'I find it funny that none of these people understand that knowledge is quite literally power in the real world… Guess that's a mistake I still make though'

"Unfortunately-" Peach continued "As was evidenced by last week's practical and exam, many of you have work to do still, and will be returning here next semester."

A chorus disappointed groans sprang up from the class. Peach gave a wry smirk.

"That includes you too, Mister Winchester."

The chorus transformed into a small gallery of laughs. I could see Cardin glaring at Peach.

"Now, that said, You all have the rest of the period to yourselves and the biology lab will remain open to you in the future, should any of you require its equipment. If you have any additional work, you may take this time now to finish it and I might consider it for partial credit..."

As Peach continued speaking most of the other students began packing up and leaving, only a few stayed behind to do more work. I was among that number. I didn't have any more work that needed doing, but I still had my reasons for hanging around the lab a while longer. It also only tangentially had to do with distracting myself from my newest predicament.

I waited as the students slowly filed out of the lab. Some of them were sticking around, so I had time to kill until I could get to work. The fewer people who knew what I was up to, the better. Last thing I needed was for some wise ass to start mixing the ingredient when I wasn't looking and screw up months of planning. In the meanwhile though, I at least had time to set up my equipment.

Out of the corner of my eye though, I could see my teammates off in a corner. I couldn't shake the feeling that they were staring at me for some reason. I was just about to chalk it up to a classic case of paranoia too. Then they seemed to reach some sort of consensus amongst themselves and started much more obviously staring at me. I was doing my best to ignore them.

Then snowflake broke away from the group and walked up to me.

I kept working, hoping that at least seeming like I was ignoring her would be enough to deter whatever she wanted.

"Pardon me… Six." Snowflake said, standing beside me..

It did not.

"'Sup?" I responded, focusing on what was in front of me.

Though she looked slightly irritated by my disregarding of her, she continued. "I had some… questions regarding the story you told us yesterday."

I did my best to hide my surprise. To avoid freezing up like a Sierra Madre hologram without a mainframe. If I did, it was hopefully so momentary she didn't really register anything wrong. Had to be careful what I gave away physically.

I was also grateful for the existence of my helmet, because I have a really shitty poker face.

"That so?" I asked evenly, if a bit stiff. "Why the sudden interest?"

"Well…" Weiss said, seeming to grow thoughtful. I couldn't tell if it was feigned or not. "The story was… interesting, and I wanted to know more about it."

She was speaking with an uncharacteristically high degree of… let's call it grace, that she never bothered with around me before.

"… I'm not averse to answering a few questions." I say, not wanting to come across as defensive. "I just can't promise I can tell you anything very informative."

"Anything you can tell me would be helpful." Weiss said with a smile. A smile that unnerved me. There was something… calculating to it.

"Ok… shoot."

Weiss's mouth curved into a smile a paranoid man might call… calculated. Apparently the act of me actually complying made her happy.

"Well, then to start-" Weiss said, staring at the goggles of my mask "Where did the story take place?"

"… I told you, the land of-"

"No no no." Weiss said, shaking her head "I mean where did it actually take place?"

'uhm… what?'

"I'm… sorry, Weiss, I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Well, you see, most stories come from someplace specific. Sometimes by knowing where, you can get a better idea of what the story looks like."

"Uh huh…" I responded, eyeing Weiss through my mask. "Well, unfortunately, I'm not sure where the story could 'supposedly' take place. It's just… a story that's been passed around the Mojave for as long as I can remember."

"Alright, then maybe you should tell me a bit more about the Mojave." Weiss said, her smile growing from a calculated grin to an almost cocky smirk. "If it's a story from there, maybe-"

"If you're interested in the Mojave, go visit it." I answered back. It was clear to me now Weiss was trying to get something out of me. I'd play along to keep from appearing suspicious, but she wasn't getting shit out of me now.

Weiss's smile transformed into a pouty glare. "I thought you were willing to answer questions?" She said, losing the sweeter tone for her standard haughtiness.

"I am, in relation to some of my more… specialized knowledge. If you want to know fact, go read a book. Got any other questions?"

Snowflake glared at me a little bit longer. Then she exhaled and continued.

"Fine, then here's another one: why was the world 'lit ablaze'?" she said the last bit with air quotes from her fingers.

"… You want the physical answer, the philosophical one, or the political one?" I asked in response

Weiss looked at me like I was an idiot, then pinched her brow.

"What?" I asked "The answer to 'Why did shit catch fire?' isn't as simple as someone left the oven on."

Weiss took a deep breath. "… Fine, the physical answer would probably be the easiest one to start with… so?"

"… Someone left the oven on."

Weiss's calm snapped and she glared at me with eyes that were screaming murder. I couldn't help but smile, how she didn't avoid walking into that one was beyond me.

"As for the others-"I continued "I wouldn't know either. Sensing a pattern? It's a myth, an urban legend people tell for one dumb reason or another."

"So if I were to ask what the other tribe mentioned in the story is" Weiss ground out "you wouldn't know either?"

I shook my head in a firm no.

"Alright." Weiss fumed, clearly frustrated beyond the healthy norm. "Then why do we-"

"Ms. Schnee" Professor Peach broke in "The lab is for work, not socializing."

Weiss's fuming faded as she looked towards the new voice that had broken into our conversation. In fact her color seemed to drain outright and was replaced with a vibrant shade of red in her cheeks. Perhaps she'd forgotten we were still standing in the middle of class.

Professor peach strode over to us with a disarming smile and a peaceful, official air about her.

"W-we weren't socializing professor." Snowflake back pedaled "I just had some questions regarding some other private matters."

"Well then, I must ask you to refrain from speaking on private matters until you're in private."

I fought the urge to chuckle. I couldn't have put it better.

"I… I understand." Weiss said, chastised

"Good, now if you'd be so kind, There is something I wish to speak with Mister Six about.

The chastised look vanished in a blink as Weiss stared at Peach incredulously agape.

"… You heard the professor." I said snidely "A little privacy is in order."

Snowflake glared at me for a moment, then gracefully retreated back to the rest of our teammates. Peach waited until Snowflake had completely rejoined and left with them before voicing her own inquiry.

"Now then, Mister Six-"

"Professor." I interrupted evenly "If you're going to try and rope me back into the Botany club, I must remind you that I was not a willing member in the first place."

Peach's demeanor grew slightly sullen. "Must you be so blunt?"

"In this regard, yes. I'm sorry professor but my interests lie in places other than the tending and breeding of flowers."

'That, and I don't want to be treated like a work horse again.'

The time I'd spent helping Peach had been brief, all things considered. It had been a few hours out of a few weeks of my time. But they'd been hours filled with back breaking labor and effort. There was a reason why not many people had heard of the botany club. It was nearly devoid of students. There were few who wanted to do the labor, or had the drive to actually pursue what amounted making prettier flowers. I was able to count the number of other students I'd seen there on one hand. Which meant a good deal of work wound up falling on my shoulders.

Unless you've had to dig a ditch by hand, you don't know what real labor is.

"Is that so?" Peach asked, seeming slightly nonplused "You had such a talent for it."

"I only spent maybe one day actually working with flowers and plants." I corrected "The rest of the time you had me weeding and digging."

"Yes, but you should see the plants now!" Peach said, regaining some small degree of gleeful energy "I've never seen plants blooming so vibrantly, or so hardy before."

I sighed "I'm afraid I don't respond well to flattery, professor."

The professor stared at me a moment longer, then gave a defeated sigh.

"I understand. It's a pity though, you had such talent for it."

I rolled my eyes in response. An unseen gesture, but it didn't need to be seen.

"Very well then, I shall leave you to your work for now." Peach said, staring at the equipment and notes I was gathering. "Though I'm surprised you're still working, compared to your fellow hunters in training you aced almost everything."

"Yeah, well, I've still got some things to do, so if you wouldn't mind professor?"

Peach nodded and strolled away. Something told me she wasn't done trying to rope me back into the club, but I'd let it go for now.

It wasn't long after that the rest of the students took off. Either deciding to accept their fate or confident enough to not need the extra work. Which left me alone in the lab. Perfect for what I was planning to do next.

'The only plants I care about are the ones in my 'secret' garden anyway.'

I reached into my inventory and pulled out two plants I'd been waiting on for weeks now. A few dried brock flowers and Xander root.

I double checked to make sure I was alone and wasn't going to be interrupted. Satisfied with my semi-private setting, I set to work grinding the root and steeping the petals.

I ground the root until it was almost a fine powder, then mixed it with a small blast of a more basic substance to break the proper proteins from the fibers. In this case, Abraxo cleaner. I wasn't sure on the concentrations of this world's own cleaning substances, so taking a chance on them now would likely be a mistake. I only needed a small amount anyway, enough to reconstitute the dust into a paste. Had I used a fresh one, I could've gotten away using something less potent for the protein extraction. Like, say, hot water.

Chemistry isn't an exact science, I swear.

Afterwards I'd combine it with the reconstituted brock flower and its liquid, which would neutralizes most of the bases anyway. Then it was only a matter of heating it, macerating it, centrifuging and repeating until the proper proteins and nutrients separated out from the solids. I've gotten adept enough at making it I could do it in my sleep. The only thing left after that was putting it in a syrette and testing it. I could pressurize it later to ensure it didn't spoil or lose potency. For now I just needed to make sure it worked. Good thing I still felt like shit.

I took an empty syringe and sucked a few ccs of the pale yellow liquid into the barrel. Enough for maybe half a standard dose. Just enough to get me feeling normal.

I could hardly contain my excitement at that point. After months of having to handle things the old fashioned way, I was close to having an incredibly powerful tool back at my side. I took a moment to stare at the syringe, a smile on my face.

"… Well, no sense in keeping myself in anticipation."

I squirted a little of the liquid back out, just enough to ensure I wasn't going to give myself an embolism.

I stuck the needle in my arm and pushed the plunger.

…

"It should be right around this corner." Weiss said, leading the group of girls.

Team RWBY followed the path their Ice themed member designated, leading them to a clearing on the school grounds. A round, walled off little area teaming with plant life. Since Weiss had last been to it, more plants had sprung up, and flowers of all kinds were in bloom. She even noticed the 'mutfruit' tree had begun to grow fruit. Though she could tell they were still far from ripe.

"Whoa~" Ruby said, walking past her teammate "It's so… pretty."

"Six really planted all of this?" Yang asked

"Probably not all of it." Weiss said "But I know he said a few of them were plants native to where he's from."

"Ok, then what are we supposed to do with them?" Blake asked

"Well… maybe we could take a few of them and… see if we can find out more about them?" Weiss said lamely

"… I don't think researching plants is going to help us." Blake continued

"That's assuming we can even find anything on them." Ruby said "We all saw the picture, there's no telling where they're from."

"Yea, or who anyone in it was." Yang said "I know I'm not the only one who was weirded out by the guy with the moustache who looked like a half melted snowman, right?"

"Or the blue giant." Weiss added

"Or the robotic dog." Blake continued

"Guys~" Ruby whined, trying to focus the conversation "We don't know anything about what was in the photo."

"Maybe it was just a costume party." Yang joked

"A costume party? Really?" Weiss asked skeptically "In the middle of a burned out city?"

Yang just rolled her eyes as her joke flew over her white haired teammate's head.

"It doesn't really matter What was in the photo right now." Ruby continued "We don't want to jump to conclusions and have a repeat of last night."

"Agreed." Blake nodded

"Indeed." Weiss sighed

"Well duh~" Yang smirked "Though Weiss's stupid questions probably have him on edge now."

"Hey!" Weiss rebuked "I'll have you know I put thought and care into those questions."

"Then proceeded to ask him in the most point blank manner." Blake said "Also, thought and care? You were going to ask him what we wanted to know in the bluntest way possible."

"W-well, he's constantly making these small mistakes, I thought I'd catch him in one."

"And it didn't work." Ruby sighed "And now he probably thinks we're suspicious of him."

"Well we kinda are." Yang continued smirking

"Well he didn't need to know that! We're supposed to be his friends! What if he doesn't trust us now!?"

"Whoa, chill baby sis" Yang said with a chuckle "I don't think he's going to stop trusting us just like that, regardless of how dumb Weiss's questions were."

The heiress glared at her blonde teammate.

"… Right now, we don't know anything." Ruby said "But the worst thing we can do is start making assumptions based on the few things we know. The only thing we know for sure right now, is that he's lying about something. If we start making assumptions then we could wind up doing things that can't be undone."

Ruby felt a small pang as she said those words. She knew Six didn't have many people he trusted. He'd said as much back during their trip to Vale a few days prior. She knew what it was like not to have many friends, and she didn't want to alienate one of her own. It made her worry.

Sensing her younger sister's unease, Yang walked over to her and patted her on the back.

"It's ok Ruby" Yang said with a warm smile "We're not going to try and push him away or make stupid statements about him until we know everything."

The blonde brawler gave a White haired heiress a coy look "Right Weiss?"

In a spur of childlike insult, Weiss stuck her tongue out at Yang.

The random act of childishness gave Ruby a small chuckle.

"He's our friend." Yang affirmed "We're going to figure out what's going on with him."

"It would be easier if we had some place to start." Weiss grumbled "But he keeps shutting down every time we try."

"… So why don't we just avoid him them?" Blake asked no one in particular.

"Avoiding the problem doesn't make it go away Blake" Yang teased

"That's not what I meant. I meant, why don't we try using what we've got to get better questions." Blake motioned to the garden around them "We've got these plants, which may or may not help, but we also have this."

Blake pulled out the book the courier had lent her, still scuffed and damaged externally.

"How's a book supposed to help us?"

"It's got an Author, someone named 'Twain', but it has other information. I have a friend who runs a bookstore in Vale, if I pass the book to him-"

"Then maybe he could shed some light onto where it came from." Weiss surmised

"And where Six is from." Ruby extrapolated

Ruby thought about it for a moment. It wasn't the most immediate solution, but if it worked, they'd be a step closer to understanding Six and his mysterious photo.

"… maybe we should ask Six if he has any other books too." Ruby said "If he's got more of them, then maybe we could use them too… It's worth a shot at least."

Blake nodded in agreement. "I'll take it down to him tomorrow. We've got time before Ozpin's punishment is put into effect. But I have no clue how long this'll take. Until we have an answer though, we just need to keep an eye on Six and see what else he does."

"Hopefully nothing too dangerous." Ruby said softly

"Psh, what's the worst he could do?" Yang asked

…

I fell to a knee and bit back the urge to vocalize my pain at the top of my lungs. Near biting through my lower lip in the process. My eyelids were clamped shut as I struggled to concentrate and force the pain out of the way so I could keep clear and coherent thought. My arm spasmed uncontrollably beside me, the pain rippling through it making it night impossible to use. The pain itself wasn't as bad as some others I'd felt. Cazador venom could hurt for what felt like days. Nightstalker bites felt like you were on fire. Bark scorpion stings felt like your skin was melting off. But none of those ever felt concentrated. They had a habit of spreading through the rest of the body fairly quick. The liver is good about filtering out poison, so long as the blood can move it.

This was different. Either it wasn't moving or it was moving slowly. The pain was entirely concentrated in my arm and felt like I'd injected pure atomic fire into me. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. I didn't know what, but in that instant it didn't matter. I could only think about the pain and, worse, what the liquid was doing inside of my arm.

I put every ounce of effort I had at my disposal and stared at the spot where I'd injected myself. It was hard to see anything at first. Pushing through panic and looking for the tiniest thing wrong left me not sure what was. I saw it though, after what felt an eternity of staring and searching. A thick, sickly yellow color slowly forcing its way up to the rest of me. I could feel the pain moving with it.

'Fuck trying to wait this out.'

I ripped the belt free from my uniform and clamped it down on my arm just ahead of the liquid. Pulling it tight to the point I could feel my arm going numb. I lifted my mask enough to hold the belt with my teeth and picked up the knife I'd used to prep everything. It took no small amount of control on my part to actually nick the vein properly. Nor did I avoid stabbing my arm several times when my focus lapsed. But I did eventually hit my mark. I did my best to prop my arm up and let whatever was in my arm drain. At that moment, I was genuinely glad that the lab had an ample supply of paper towels on hand in case of spills. Trying to explain why the lab was covered in blood was not on the agenda for tonight.

The two formed a strange, orange ichor as it ran out onto the waiting paper. A repulsive and clearly wrong substance. I waited and held the belt even as my teeth began to ache. Until my blood stopped looking as repulsive, and more... well, red. When it did, I began wadding paper towel around it and pushing as much pressure onto it as I could. The pain continued to ebb through my numb arm. There were clearly remnants of the substance in my system. But as I released the belt from my teeth and set the knife down, it grew more manageable. I could still feel it, even with warm blood rushing back into my oxygen deprived limb and out the messy stab wound. But compared to the near atomic level pain I'd been feeling, it was smaller. More a gently rocking wave of pain rather than a searing shockwave of torment. I breathed shakily for a moment. Pulling my mask back down as I tried to let my nerves steady themselves and letting a cool sweat begin to roll down my face beneath the helmet.

"Wha … da phuk?" I slurred, trying to bring myself to rights.

I was trying to let the pain pass. I needed to focus on something else. Something other than the pain.

"Dat wann't s'ppose to happen."

Fortunately, I'm good at getting sidetracked.

I locked the belt tight enough on the paper to improvise a temporary bandage, before putting a hand on the lab table and forcing myself up. I took a second more to focus, then glared down at the puddle full of poison and blood. A nasty orange blob sitting semi-congealed on the paper.

"That's not right." I said, picking the needle back up. "You're not supposed to do that."

I stared at the blob. For a moment, it looked as though it had fully congealed, the platelets coagulating into a hardened mass. But with the slightest motion, it was fully liquid again. With any clots having dissolved away.

"…and you're definitely not supposed to do that."

I fished a petri dish out of the lab supplies I'd gathered and scraped some of the ichor into it.

I was dumbfounded. I'd used that formula dozens of times now and never had a problem like this happen. Hell, it shouldn't have happened period. The only change I'd made was having to include the Abraxo cleaner to account for the drying process. But the caustic effects of the cleaner should've been balanced by the acidic elements from the root and flowers. I'd done the math just to be sure. So why did it still try to kill me?

'… did it balance out?'

Now doubting my own ability to do basic math, I reached into my inventory and retrieved an orange. I'd been saving it for a snack later, but the juice would serve as a weak enough acid in this case. I tore a pip loose and squeezed a few drops over the nasty looking blob of science.

Nothing happened.

If it were caustic, it would've had some form of reaction to the, albeit really weak, acid in the orange's juice. A little fizzing, a little bubbling, maybe even a few potentially hazardous fumes. But there weren't any. The blob stayed completely quiet and still. Which meant it wasn't overly basic and that my math wasn't that far off. But it didn't explain what went wrong. I'd done everything by the book, so to speak, but I still felt like it was trying to kill me.

But that only left the Broc flower and Xander root. Which made no sense. Why should they be any different from the ones back in the Mojave? They got sunlight, plenty of it. They got water, more than they probably ever did in the Mojave.

'Hell, I even gave them fertilizer when I was stuck under Peach's tyranny. If anything they should be better than the ones in the Mojave, they should… be… stronger.'

I fought the urge to slap myself in the face. I was an idiot.

"Of fucking course they're stronger you idiot." I growled "You gave them everything they needed to be stronger."

There was the problem. The brock flower and Xander weren't the same as the ones in the Mojave. With proper nutrients and care, they'd grown into something different. Maybe more potent versions of their previous incarnations. Maybe outright poisonous versions of themselves. I hadn't bothered to check to see if anything had changed. I hadn't thought to. Nothing had changed with the ones I'd grown in the Big Empty's nursery. Maybe the electric lights weren't a good enough alternative to the sun. Whatever the case, it meant only one thing: I had to refine the recipe… again.

I sighed heavily "It was a pain to do it the first time, I don't want to do it again~"

It'd taken me weeks of off and on trial and error to get it right the first time. Time I didn't want to throw into it again… Time I was going to have to throw at it again, regardless.

I sighed defeatedly, lowering myself enough to rest my face in my hands. Nothing could ever be simple. Not when it seemed like I was finally getting a leg up on this world.

"…Alright." I exhaled "Gotta figure out if what I know is even remotely close, or if I gotta start from scratch."

For that, I needed some notes. It's important to make notes when making potentially hazardous liquids you want to inject yourself with. That way you don't make the same mistakes twice. I had a few of them recorded on holotape, just needed to get them. Which meant going back to my room.

Which meant cleaning the mess I had here before I left.

'… or just locking the door so no one finds this stuff.'

I went with the latter option. I was just going to need to pull it all back out anyway, so it didn't make much sense to clean up at the moment. It didn't take a good deal of effort to reverse lockpick a door anyway. Better to at least take some precautions anyway.

With the door secured, I raced my way back across campus for my notes. Ignoring any remaining dregs of poisonous gunk in me and being careful not to disturb my fresh wound. That and the ever present ache left from the events my failed stimpack was supposed to heal.

I crossed campus fairly quickly. I knew most of the shortcuts by this point and made a point of avoiding contact where I could. I'm not averse to socializing, but getting caught up in conversation was a reoccurring theme in this place.

I crossed the campus in record time and was through the dorms before I knew it. Once I was in my closet again, I began scrounging through my personal effects for the notes. It didn't take long, so I decided to properly bind my wound and grab some coffee too. I got the feeling I was going to be at this for many long nights, so I'd might as well try and get the jump on it.

When I pulled the sack of coffee beans out though, I pulled something else with it. The TPPT clattered to the floor noisily.

I stared at it for a moment, then moved to make sure it wasn't any more busted than it already was. It wasn't, but it did remind me of what I'd been trying to ignore today.

'… I've got to find Dala.' I thought, carefully placing the TPPT back amongst my items.

I needed to find Dala, or at least figure out what had happened to her. She'd practically disappeared into thin air and that wasn't a good thing. But worrying about it at the moment wasn't my concern. Tracking her down was going to require some effort of its own. For now, dealing with what I knew I could handle seemed infinitely more appealing.

I was going to have to find Dala eventually. Just not today.

'… just don't forget about her again, dumbass.'

With a tired groan, I collected my beans and headed back to the lab. It was time for some science.

* * *

 **... So... Three months counts as a short wait... right?**

 **I'm just gonna go ahead and apologize, There's been a lot of changes on my end and it's resulted in my having far less time to focus on writing than I want. But that's just life I guess. I can't make any promises that things are going to pick up either. I've only just started getting a handle on everything and there's no telling what'll happen in the future. Just know, like I said before, it's not dead yet.**

 **" ": Well I hope this helped answer at least one of those questions.**

 **"Papa Cipher": Why thank you, hopefully I'll do better in the future.**

 **"Guest" 1-3: If I had to guess, cereal jet would liquefy your teeth on contact. so yeah, not worth it.**

 **HeadHunterB311: Congratulations on being the first person, that I can think of, to actually make some puns. The firing squad will be with you shortly.**

 **I guess that'll do guys and gals, as usual: thoughts, comments, ramblings, reviews, jokes, general mayhem, and misc. are welcome.**

 **This fanfic was brought to you by Crocker's fertilizer: No one spews s*** like a politician**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	19. Intermission 2: Books in the Store

I'd never been to Camp McCarran at that point, odd as it may seem. Just the idea of such a secure place in the Mojave seemed a bit imposing. It was, and to the best of my knowledge still is, a very large and exceedingly active military base. Troops regularly moved in and out of its grounds, both for some R&R and for redeployment. There were snipers on watch at all hours, there was all of one entrance not counting the monorail, and was home to Boone's old unit. There was space enough for dozens if not hundreds of soldiers. To top it off if they ever needed assistance, an absurd idea given everything else, Camp Golf was less than a half hour down the road. McCarran practically had the NCR Rangers on speed dial. There were only a handful of other places in the Mojave that could boast about such security, let alone _have_ it.

So, of course, I'd never considered actually walking up to the place. I figured I'd either get turned away or get shot in the head again. After all, why the fuck would they let me in? I was just some jackass walking in off the street and, as Crocker illustrated, the NCR didn't exactly acknowledge my existence.

Turns out, not existing helps you sneak into places.

The troopers on watch waved me and Boone through without a problem. Not sure if any of them recognized him, but if they did they made no moves to show it. Hell, none of them did as we walked through the compound. I wasn't sure if that was a respect thing or what. I'd have figured at least one of them would recognize Boone, he was dressed in his old armor and beret after all.

Regardless, we made our way into the concourse with ease. No moves were made to try and stop us, so that was a good sign. Crocker had instructed me to check the ground floor for his contact. We found him in an office on the eastern end of the compound, typing into a terminal.

Colonel Hsu looked, to put it politely, stressed. His armor and uniform were properly maintained, sure. Everything was in place, stitched properly, and secured fast. He was clean shaven and his hair looked combed. He looked like he bathed regularly and ate enough. And even sitting, I could see he held himself in a measured manner, demonstrating and exuding control.

But I could see other things too. Heavy, black and purple bags under puffy and bloodshot brown eyes. A tell-tale sign he'd been putting off sleep as long as possible. Stress lines creased his face around his mouth and the edges of his eyes, making him appear older than he was. His skin was slightly sallowed, more than it should have been, implying that he might not have been getting proper nutrition. His movements, though calculated, were slowly and deliberate. As though he were putting in extra effort to avoid mistakes, a clear sign of fatigue. Lastly, he made regular motions to his head and temples. Likely due to some form of lingering pain or ache.

Clearly the man was stressed to the breaking point and was fighting desperately not to show it.

"I'm going to assume you're the asset Crocker mentioned." Hsu said, not looking away from his terminal

"I suppose I am." I answered "If I'm intruding, I could come back in an hour."

"Forgive me, just needed to finish this report. Third time this month a weapon shipment's come up wrong and the Lieutenant was beside herself. I decided to take it off her hands."

"Like I said, I can come back in an hour if you need me to."

"No, you're fine, I just need a moment."

With a few more mechanical clicks from the terminal's keyboard, the colonel finished his work. With a groan, he shut it down and stood to face me. I could here stiffness in his moves, he'd probably been at the terminal for some time. He extended a hand to me with the same measure of control he carried himself with.

"I'm Colonel Hsu, Chief military officer of this base."

I took his hand with equal measure, unsure if he was sizing me up at this point.

"Courier Six, former mailman and current problem solver."

"So I've been told." Hsu said, eyeing me "I've heard from scouts and troopers that come through that you've been around."

"Well, I know the way… most of the time."

"Like when you took us through Scorpion gulch?" Boone asked dryly

"That was an accident." I answered hastily "I thought it was a shortcut back to Mojave outpost, which it was, without going through Nipton. The smell of that place still makes me gag."

Hsu shifted his gaze to Boone. "The more recent reports said you always had a traveling companion. But they were often inconsistent, I thought you were with a woman?"

"I am… platonically." I answered "But it pays to have friends. The more the merrier, right?"

Hsu nodded and extended a hand to Boone. "And you would be…?"

"Boone. Craig Boone." Boone said, matching Hsu's stoicism. He took Hsu's hand and shook.

"Boone…" Hsu said, scanning Boone's clothing "I find it odd that First Recon would let one of their own be on leave to travel with an outside asset. Including for extended periods."

" _Former_ First Recon." Boone corrected flatly "I took my papers and walked about three years back."

"Your first name is Craig?" I asked

"Yes." Boone answered

"You've been traveling with him and didn't ask him his name?" Hsu asked, skeptical of my own idiocy.

"I didn't think to." I responded "Everyone is so fond of calling each other by their surnames I never thought about it."

"What'd you think it was then?" Boone asked

"… Randy."

Boone rubbed his face. "You could've gone with any other name. Aaron, Bob, Daniel- why Randy?"

"Because you look like a Randy."

Boone gave an aggravated sigh.

"I'm afraid you're not inspiring confidence, Courier." Hsu said

I felt an odd twinge of annoyance when he said Courier like it was my name. "Call me Six, Colonel, and while I'm sure I'm not. But given the chance, I'm prepared to fix that."

"I'd hope so, considering that's why Crocker directed you here first instead of Forlorn Hope. They'd need the back up more than us."

"Oh yeah, I keep hearing about them on the radio. I guess I'm just here to prove myself first. So what can I do to help?"

Hsu eyed me for a moment longer. I'd probably destroyed any confidence he'd had in me by this point. But he just sighed and began to speak about his troubles. He started with some minor things. Like how the Fiends were harassing his patrols. Because what else would a bunch of drug addled raiders do? Then there was the issue he'd mentioned during my arrival. How weapons were missing from shipments or excess ones were arriving that weren't on the manifest. It sounded like a simple clerical error but its frequency was suggesting otherwise. Then, lastly and hesitantly, he told me about the troops he was losing to ambushes. He made a bitter joke about how he couldn't even trust them to a piss break without getting jumped by legionnaires. All the while, he told me this without breaking the calm he was forcing himself to show.

"… So what you're saying-" I started after he finished "Is this camp is falling down around your ears and you're not sure how to stop it."

"Hm." Hsu grunted "When you put it like that, you make it sound worse."

"If you don't mind me asking, with all that's going on, how are you so calm?"

"Calm is what you have to be when people look to you. And it's all you can be when things are out of your hands."

"Why worry about what you can't control, and scare the people you're trying to help." I surmised

A small, tranquil smile crossed Hsu's weary face.

I studied Hsu a bit more. Underneath all of the fatigue and cold calculation was a man who was probably wiser than his years would show. There were only a few ways to get wisdom like that without the years. Far as I'm aware, they all involved no small amount of pain. I was liking him already.

"Well, best get to work then." I answered "Considering it's got most of your men on edge, I'm assuming you'd like for me to get started on tracking down the supposed spy in your midst?"

"No, actually." Hsu answered, maintaining his placid tone "There's actually something else I need you to take a look at."

"Something more important than an information leak?"

"Maybe not immediately, but I can see the long-term value in it and so does Crocker. Consider it a test."

I gave Hsu a funny look through my helmet. "A test for a test, really?"

"Trust must start somewhere, do you want to help?"

I nodded after a moment.

"Then speak with Dr. Hildern over in the lab. He'll fill you in on what you must do."

Hsu pointed Boone and I in the direction of the lab. We left him to his reports as we walked the short distance to the lab.

"… Just a quick question." Boone started "If you've been assuming my name is Randy, what do you think Cass's name is?"

"…"

…

The tromping of heavy footsteps pulled me from my nap. I was in Byz's shop and the afternoon sun was coming through the windows. I'd had a long day and had gotten comfy while waiting for Byz to put on the finishing touches.

I was rewarded for my patience with the image of the bull-man walking out with a set of folded leather garments. Not quite pressed enough to crease them, but enough for manageable storage.

"The stitchin' took a bit of time." Byz grunted, a low guttural noise "needed to find thread and needles to hold leather as thick as you wanted."

"Hope it wasn't too hard." I said, shaking off the sleep

"What do you take me for, some half rate haberdasher?"

'Ooh, there's a nice word.'

Byz handed me the clothes and I went to get changed. I stripped out of the other set of clothes he'd made me and began pulling and belting the armor on. The body suit wasn't something I was particularly used to. I'd worn clingy armor in the past and it had it's advantages. Unfortunately it also had a habit of burning through my stimpacks and saying things that made me feel uncomfortable while wearing it.

Aside from the body suit hugging me, everything fit nice. The pants were comfortable and looked like they'd take a beating. The leather vest and spaulder were a bit on the stiff side still, but they'd wear in with time. The extra padding didn't help, but being able to cushion blows was a useful little bonus. The arm and leg guards fit nicely too. The belts secured them close enough to remain firm, but without cutting off the blood flow to my arms.

I finished buttoning up and looked at myself in the mirror. Dark vest, jeans, and body suit. Polished steel fasteners and thick brown thread weaving with dark blues and blacks. The armor taut with padding and from the belts molding it to my body. I looked mean. I looked rough. I looked like someone ready for a fight.

I looked like something out of a comic book and I was ok with that.

I folded the other set of clothes up and walked out of the changing room. Byz looked me up and down before nodding, a smirk on his face.

"Looks good on you." He said "Was worried I'd cut it a bit large. Looks like I might've been wrong-"

'did he just call me fat?'

"-how's it feel?" He asked honestly

"Bit tight around the crotch if I'm being honest." I grunt, shifting the pants slightly

"Hmph, let me guess, you ain't got enough room for your dick or some shit."

"No, that's fine, I just got balls the size of hand grenades and they're fucking killin' me right now."

Byz stared at me for a moment, apparently piecing together I was making a joke. When he did, he practically keeled over.

"Yuck it up Byz" I grunt, a smirk on my own face "I'm still the guy paying you."

"*heh* So you are. You want me to alter it for your balls first or-"

"Don't make me regret shopping here." I said seriously

"Hrm" Byz cleared the chuckle from his throat and focused. Though I could see he was still amused by my self-deprecation "So, you're good with it then?"

"Will be until I break it in. So I guess it's time to pay up."

I walked over to the counter with Byz and he produced a bag for me to carry my other clothes in. After that he began punching his fingers into the register and came up with the bill.

"That's going to run you a couple hundred lien. You did well with the upfront payment so I'm willing to knock a little off the end price."

"How generous." I said sarcastically.

Byz snorted, sending a ripple through his large frame. "By my estimate: the damage is about two hundred lien. You got the lien?"

"I've got a few." I said, pulling some multi-colored cards from my pocket. I'd gotten them as change a while back for groceries. I put as many as I had on me on the counter "How close am I to paying it off?"

"… 'bout fifty short." Byz grunted, having counted them out. "If you've got any more of those coins, should only take a few of them."

I fished out the coin purse and plonked five denarius onto the counter. "Here's five, we good?"

Byz looked at the coins for a moment, then nodded.

I still had no idea if these things had a standardized exchange rate for lien or not. If Byz was giving me a fair shake, which I was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt for; then each denarius was worth maybe ten lien a piece or more. I was going to have to look into it.

"So what brought you down today?" Byz asked, depositing the lien and coins into the register "I figured you'd be busy at the academy, it's right about now most students are having final exams."

"We are and I am." I assured "But I only had one exam today and needed a break after it."

"That bad?"

"Definitely, the professor spouts facts like a runaway machine gun and I could only catch so much of it."

"Oof, you do alright."

"I'm hoping, but it's hard to tell. I'm figuring I at least passed. Unfortunately, the questions weren't anything easy for me anyway."

"Let me guess, they were intentionally misleading?" Byz grunted

"I sure as hell hope not. That would only make my illiteracy worse."

Byz nodded for a moment, then seemed to think about what I just said "You're illiterate?"

"Well… mostly illiterate now."

"… You're sure you did good on that exam right?"

"Eh, about 50/50 at this point. It's not that I _can't_ read, just that I don't- uh… have a very good grasp on vytalian."

"Ah." Byz said with a knowing smile "You were raised on some of that pre-war patriotism, weren't you?"

"Yeah, something like that. I can read sanusian, I think, easy enough. But I only just started learning how to read vytalian."

"Hrm. Know my old man was much the same, thought I'd be better learning a dying tongue and ignoring the script that'd disappear with the next war."

"That's a bit… dark."

Byz rolled his eyes. "He also wanted to serve only faunus customers, so I think he was a tad biased."

"Maybe just a bit." I said with an agreeing nod. "It wouldn't be so bad if I had something that actually made me want to read it. I've got a whole library to work with back at beacon but the only thing they've got is boring thesis papers and textbooks."

"What would you rather read, Comicbooks?"

"Yea, actually. I've learned quite a bit from them in the past."

Byz looked at me in confusion, trying to tell if I was joking.

"Besides that though, I can't exactly go walking into a bookstore and grab random books off the shelves. If I can't read what they're about, I could grab something thinking it's an adventure novel and have it turn out to be smut or some shit. They don't exactly make it so the reading impaired can understand what they're looking at."

Byz stared at me a moment longer, then just gave a soft chuckle.

'Don't laugh jackass, you're not the one who can't read.'

"I actually ran into a similar problem when I was younger." Byz said, scratching his cheek "Really doesn't make it easy…"

Byz fell silent for a bit longer, looking like he was thinking about something.

"… There's a shop, a block or two over, that might have what you're looking for." He said at last "The owner's got his sign done up in Sanusian and Vytalian. Shouldn't be too hard to spot."

"They got something for a guy like me?" I asked, not getting my hopes up

"They might, he seems pretty understanding for the most part. If you at least explain things to him, he'll probably be able to help you out."

I listened to what Byz said, nodding. It would help to have more interesting materials to practice with. Plus, maybe I could start finding information I actually wanted to know instead of randomly picking up botany books. Because it was _always_ botany books.

"Where'd you say this place was?"

"'Couple blocks over, near that dust shop that got robbed a few weeks back."

"Which one?"

Byz thought a moment longer. It shouldn't have been a question that needed asking. "… think it was 'Dust 'till Dawn' or somethin'"

"Aight, I'll take a look, Thanks for the tip Byz."

"No problem, just make sure to stop by more often. The business is appreciated."

'Don't say byz-ness, don't say byz-ness, don't say byz-ness-'

I kept my mouth shut, gave him a nod, and waved on the way out the door. Giving a sigh of relief once there was a door between us.

I began my trek through Vale. It was just passed mid-day now and the streets were crowded with people. Shoppers, businessmen, pedestrians, children, and the occasional vigilant patrolman filling the pathways. Many of whom got out of my way once they got a look of me. If this were a normal school day I'd still have been at beacon, trying to muddle through classes. Instead, since we were onto finals, I got to cut out early. So I got the pleasure of walking around in the growing summer heat instead. It wasn't anything like the Mojave, thankfully. Nowhere near as hot or humid. But there was still the ever pervasive stench of hot asphalt and stonework. Guess it didn't matter whether you've had an apocalypse or not. Cities smell like shit in the summer time.

I looked around the streets as I strolled through. Slowly, more stalls were beginning to open for the festival. With them, posters for various events, expos, and sales began to line the vacant walls and litter the ground. Each being the banner for some different business. Like 'Verde's exotic foods and spices', or 'Steele's Armaments and Dust', and 'Brown's Antiques and Knick Knacks'.

That last one sounded familiar.

Passing by the ever growing number of fliers was giving me an idea though. An absolutely ludicrous idea, but an idea all the same.

'Maybe I should put up missing posters for Dala…'

I chuckled at how stupid the idea was.

'Yea right, what am I supposed to say, ' _Missing Brain, if found please return to owner_ '? I already went through that shit once I'm not doing it again.'

I lost a bit of my mirth as I thought about how Dala was still missing. I still didn't have much of a place to start at this point. So far hadn't thought of anything that could trick my pip-boy into initiating a quest either. My search was still dead in the water as far as finding a lead was concerned. Granted, I'd only been on the trail, maybe, two days now. I couldn't expect something to just fall out of the sky for me. Not with my luck anyway. But that didn't change that it was one of the heavier items weighing on my mind.

I did my best to put it to the back of my mind for the moment. Driving myself insane over it wasn't going to help. I needed to focus on the problems I knew I could handle. Such as getting myself some new reading material.

I rounded one final corner and saw the store Byz had talked about. The sign was almost impossible to miss. It was large, done in green and either vibrant yellow or gold, and It looked fairly well maintained. The sign hung between two other signs containing, what I assumed was, the building's street number. Which hung over a door which was set between two large display windows, also embossed with signage. Just like Byz had also said; the signs were even written in English, or rather, sanusian. Underneath the main sign, in smaller lettering, I could see its vytalian equivalent. 'Tukson's Book Trade: Home to Every book under the sun.'

'Finally, someone of sense in a strange world.'

I closed the distance between me and the store at a brisk pace. I opened the door, and was greeted with the smell of paper and warm air. The interior was fairly bare, save for the litany of shelves lining its walls and displays dotting its floor. Stained wood and soft paint covered the otherwise bared room. The lights were dimmed low, possibly for ease of reading in place of the harsh sunlight. At the far end of the shoppe, opposite the entrance, was positioned a wooden counter. The counter held a great many books of its own and seemed ready to buckle under the weight of them.

"-For the last time ms. Belladonna, you know _why_ I can't." A man standing behind the counter answered

"But I _need_ you to look into this" Blake said

It was also the holding ground for an argument I wasn't expecting to see.

Blake was standing in front of the counter, arguing with the clerk. A large man with some impressive chops and black, close cropped hair. He had a strong jaw, short nose, and green eyes the color of fresh agave sap.

"Ma'am under normal circumstances I'd be willing to help, but-"

The man cut himself short when he took notice of me. He seemed to be startled by my appearance, Which I suppose is understandable. Stranger walks in clad in black clothes, leather, and a gas mask; your first thoughts aren't going to be 'He seems friendly.'. They'll probably be more 'What a weirdo' or 'dear god I'm about to die'.

"Um… hi." I said, giving a small wave

Blake's ears pricked up and she turned halfway around. She caught sight of me and pulled the parcel tucked under her arm closer to herself. Like she was worried I'd look at it. Or maybe it was smut and she didn't want me knowing. It's always the quiet ones.

"Uh… welcome." The man said, trying to change gears "How can I- uh- help you?"

"Well… you could start by pointing me to the comicbooks. Then to the philosophy books, then the adventure novels… then maybe some fantasy? I have no clue right now, just need a place to start."

The man eyed me for a moment longer. "… Comics are over there in the front corner." He said pointing to a corner to my right.

"Aight, thanks… Also, is it Tucson or two-sun?"

Now the man just looked confused. "Its… Tukson- I'm Tukson."

"Neat, got a friend that will probably want to weigh in on that… Also, hi Blake."

"H-hi." Blake said uneasily

'… odd.'

I headed off into the corner of the store Tukson had motioned to and began browsing the racks. There were quite a few of them, never knew pulp based picture books could have such variety. Only a scant few of them looked anything like the stuff from back home though. I saw one comic book that was reminiscent of '¡La Fantoma!' was one that roughly translated to 'The Huntsman!'. Which was just some blonde dude in a domino mask and cape with a sword and shield. Something told me I wasn't going to learn anything useful from it.

Most of the other comics appeared that way too. All of them were vibrantly colored, like the ones from the Mojave, but they looked like they lacked substance. Enough of them blurring together as overly muscular men and women running around in their pajamas and swimsuits.

'Because Grognak _totally_ wasn't some 'roided out knucklehead running around in his underwear.'

There _was_ a comic that did seem similar to Grognak though. It depicted a mostly naked man, save for a ludicoursly small pair of shorts and some sort of hat. The man had an arm outstretched and bursting through a Grimm in messy fashion, holding a chunk of flesh. I think it was a beringel. A splash of text on the cover read the title as 'Daring tales of Vacuo's Finest!'. A smaller caption underneath reading 'Navy Hale in: How I cut my way out of Grimm Hell!'.

Whoever wrote this needed to stop before the excess testosterone gave them a heart attack. I held onto it anyway, figuring it would at least be worth a laugh. A nabbed a few others at random after that. Mostly whatever didn't seem too cartoonish. The last one I really examined depicted a detective in a yellow trench coat pointing what looked like a smoking machine gun at the reader. 'Hard Boiled: From the case files of The Detective'

'Eh, it'll never catch on.'

I took it anyway.

It was right about then that I noticed the large amount of ominous whispering going on behind me. Blake and Tukson were still having a heated argument, only they'd decided to lower the volume substantially. I say ominous because up until I'd walked in it seemed like they were just having a normal conversation. Suddenly it was a match of who could whisper the softest. I wanted to ignore what was going on, but it was getting harder and harder to do so. Especially considering I still wanted to know where the other books were. I cautiously began approaching the counter.

"For the last time Ma'am, no." Tukson growled

"But Tuk-"

"I respect your father for what he did, and I respect you for what you've done. But I'm not putting my neck on the line. _Especially_ not right now."

"It doesn't involve-"

"Excuse me." I interrupted

Blake and Tukson broke from their whispering match and regarded me.

"I know I probably walked in on something, but I get the feeling you two are having some sort of disagreement."

"We're ok, Six" Blake said "I'm just trying to take care of something."

"You two know each other?" Tukson asked, in slow and confused fashion.

"We do indeed." I answered "We're teammates."

"Teammates…"

Tukson continued to eye me. Like he was trying to discern if there was some deeper meaning to my words.

"Yea… at Beacon." I supplied

Tukson gave a cautious nod.

'Oookay, this guy's a weirdo.'

"As I was saying-" I continued "Normally I'd be more than happy to let Blake be in control of her own affairs. But I'd like to get on with my day, and until you both resolve what you're doing I can't do what I want in peace. So, Blake, what exactly is going on?"

"I'm afraid that's none of your business." Tukson said, an edge growing to his voice

"That so?" I responded, nodding and turning to Blake "Care to weigh in on that?"

Blake looked cautiously between myself and Tukson. Having the look of a cat that was caught in the midst of doing something it shouldn't be. "I just… needed help tracking something down. Tukson is an old friend so I figured he'd be willing to help."

"… so he's a former white fang, like you?"

It took Tukson a second to register what I'd said, and less than that to react. He immediately took a step back and spread his arms out in a fighting stance. I could see the look of fear in his eye, even as it was overshadowed by what was likely a practiced face of intimidation. It didn't have the effect he wanted on me, I could read him well enough to see it as the façade it was. But I also knew better than to push someone who was feeling cornered.

"Easy chief" I said, raising my hands in a placating gesture "If I were looking for trouble I'd have just attacked you and save myself the time."

Tukson glared at me a moment longer, then shifted his gaze to Blake "He knows you were one of us?"

"Yes." Blake said "There was an incident, and my team found out."

"Kinda dragged us into the business at the docks last weekend too." I supplied "I'm not looking to start trouble Mr. Tukson, so please calm down."

Tukson looked between me and Blake again for a long moment. As if he were debating whether it was worth taking a chance or not. But eventually eased up. I could see he was still suspicious of me however.

"So, now that the awkward part is out of the way." I continue "What exactly are you two arguing about?"

"… Blake has something she wants me to look into." Tukson responded "I'm not interested because I'm in the middle of a _delicate_ situation and can't risk drawing too much attention."

"Ok, and what exactly are you having him do, Blake?" I asked, looking to my teammate.

Blake looked back and forth between me and Tukson uneasily.

"…Blake?" I prompted

"… I needed him to help me find out something."

"Ok, and that is?"

"Well… I've got a book that I enjoyed-" She started, seemingly cherry picking her words. "I'm trying to find out more about it, and maybe find others like it."

"And?"

"And nothing… that's really it."

I stared at Blake for a moment, then turned to Tukson in confusion "So what's the problem then?" I asked "You run a book store, it shouldn't be so hard to find out more about what she's looking for."

"Tsk, that's easy for you to say." Tukson growled "But you're not in my shoes."

"Then explain it to me."

"… Alright look-" Tukson leaned in "I'm not exactly on the best of terms with the White Fang right now."

"Well you left the group so I'd suppose not."

"I haven't left _yet_ , that's the thing." Tukson growled "At the moment I'm more 'in the process of' than 'Already left'."

"Ok." I nodded

"I'm working on getting the papers together so I can leave town. Not going to tell you where to, so don't ask. But after what happened at the _docks_ last weekend-" Tukson gave us both a glare. Its impact cut by the growing nervousness in his voice "The people further up the chain are trying to prep for something bigger. I don't know what, and I _know_ I shouldn't tell you what. Just for letting you know that I'd probably get shot."

"Then don't tell us." I said, trying to keep Tukson calm "Just explain what this has to do with Blake's request, ok?"

Tukson took a moment and breathed. I could see him trying to focus, clearly this had him stressed out.

"If it were just the book it wouldn't be an issue." Tukson said "But because of Ms. Belladonna's desertion and her _very_ recent interference, things have changed." Tukson gave a paranoid look past us at the shop windows, then shifted back to us. "To say that you, _both_ of you, have a target on your back is putting it lightly. We lost a fair few of our brothers on that last mission and it's not being taken lightly."

"And you don't want to help Blake" I surmise "Because it might drag what you're trying to do into the limelight."

Tukson nodded and sighed "I respect you ms. Belladonna, but I'm already in the midst of a huge risk. Adding you into the equation almost guarantees a midnight visit from Bane."

'From _who_?'

"But Tukson, this has nothing to do with the White Fang." Blake urged "I'm not asking you to feed us information or anything, I just want you to help me find information about a book."

"I know" Tukson grumbled "But Just talking with you right now ups the odds of things going wrong. Hell, _you_ should be worried. You didn't exactly leave on good terms, ma'am."

"Given what we did at the docks, that's not surprising." I commented

"I wasn't referring to the docks." Tukson said. "Mister… uh, Six, trust me when I say the less you know about the circumstances surrounding Ms. Belladonna's leaving the White Fang the better. Or the fact that, if anyone else found out, she'd have the police after her as well."

"Well being a terrorist is a good way to piss off old Johnny Law."

Blake glared at me for the use of the word.

"Hey, might not be a nice word, but given recent events it's pretty accurate."

"Wish I could say you were wrong." Tukson sighed "But in the past few months, it feels like that's what we're devolving into."

"Which I suppose is why you're jumping ship now." I stated flatly

"There a problem with that?" Tukson growled

"No, no, better to recognize you're part of the problem and all that."

"Whatever. The point stands, I'm trying not to draw any unnecessary attention to myself. While I might want to help you, Ms. Belladonna, I can't knowingly put myself even further into someone's crosshairs. "

"It's just a _book_ Tukson." Blake insisted

"Save it, Blake." I say, trying to placate my teammate. "I don't think words are going to convince him."

I regarded Tukson again, now that I was getting a proper look at him. He looked tired. Like he'd missed out on a goodnight's sleep for the past few weeks.

"… Is getting out of the White Fang really that hard?" I asked, not addressing either of the former members directly

"Depends on how deep into it you are." Tukson said "Ms. Belladonna was in a special spot. Getting out was just a matter of leaving. Guys like me though, who tend to be low man on the totem pole, We have to be smart. It takes a lot of planning and work to get out, and even more to _hide_ once we're out. Only a few people have ever _left_ the White Fang and did it without turning up in a ditch somewhere. To do it means burning more bridges than what it took to get in."

"… Why not just pay the toll and cross them?" I asked

Tukson looked at me in confusion.

"Probably mixed metaphors there, what I mean is: If there's a faster way to disappear, why waste time?"

"Because I don't have the resources to just 'disappear'" Tukson Responded "It takes time to plan things and money to make it happen. In case you haven't noticed-" Tukson motioned to the store "I have to work for a living, and business isn't exactly booming."

"Well then, perhaps we can come to an agreement. Maybe you look into this book for Blake, and we'll just so happen to overpay on these books I'm going to buy. Bear in mind, my secret bonus from this is that you'll stop arguing long enough to point me to the stuff I'm looking for."

Tukson looked me up and down for a moment; then gave me a short, disbelieving laugh. "Kid, do you have any idea the kind of money you're talking about?"

"Nope." I pulled the coin purse from pocket and put a fistful of denarii on the counter, I didn't bother counting them at that moment. "But if we're talking ball-park, I think this'll be a start."

Tukson's jaw practically hit the floor at the sight of the coins. In my peripherals I could see the normally stoic Blake go bug-eyed while her bow stood at attention.

"… Also I'm going to need a book on economics and precious metals."

…

It took something around 40 pieces of silver to get Tukson to agree. Plus another thirty minutes of me wandering around the shop to find what I was looking for. By the time we were done, the sun was starting to set and it was time to go. We had a short window before the last airship left for Beacon, but Blake and I were in no rush. Which was good for me, since I was now weighed down with several bags of books and clothes.

As we started back though Blake continued to be… tense, for lack of a better word. Almost like she didn't feel comfortable being around me. I had no clue whether this was carrying over from how my teammates avoided me yesterday or not. But it was plain enough for me to see it. We were about halfway back before she finally spoke up.

"… You didn't have to do that." Blake said, finally breaking her silence

"Maybe not" I replied "But you looked like you needed a hand, and I wanted to get my shopping done."

"I could've handled it."

"Probably, but I'm more than happy to help a friend."

"…"

"… Let me ask something, Blake, why did you go to him?"

Blake looked at me in confusion.

"The guy, Tukson, is by his own admission a member of the White Fang. An organization that you're not exactly on speaking terms with. Why did you go to him for help, even with something small like this?"

"… I'd worked with him in the past. I knew I could trust him."

"Even if selling you out might put him in a better spot to escape?"

"He wouldn't do that." Blake growled

"Don't bet on it, people do horrible shit when they're desperate."

Blake glared at me.

"Hate me all you want for it, but would you prefer candor or false re-assurance?"

"I'm not an idiot Six, I knew the risks."

"Then you shouldn't be so upset, since all I'm doing is re-affirming that." I looked At Blake through my gasmask "Don't forget, I still owe you a favor. Until I've had the opportunity to re-pay it properly, I'd rather you didn't do something that'll get you killed. Like, say, going to someone who's clearly looking for an out and might use you as a scapegoat."

Blake glared at me a moment longer, then shifted her gaze to the ground. "I'm aware of the danger Six. You don't have to remind me."

I stared at the thinly veiled faunus a bit longer. If I didn't know any better, I'd assume she was hurt by the notion a friend might possibly sell her out. But this was _Blake_ , cool, collected, aloof Blake. She didn't let things like that bother her… right?

'…'

I gave Blake a pat on the back, and she jolted a little in surprise. "Don't worry about it Kitten. I'm probably being overly pessimistic, you know the guy better than me."

"…Right." Blake said, nowhere near as certain as I would've liked.

'Great going jackass, now you've depressed one of the few friends you have in this place.'

"I'm being serious." I said, trying to change my tune "You knew him better than me, so I'm probably just over thinking it."

Blake just gave me a sharp look. Clearly just wanting me to shut up.

"… I'm not helping myself, am I?"

"No." Blake said bluntly

"Alright, I drop it then. Since I've no reason to keep digging."

Blake just rolled her eyes.

"… So what was that book about anyway?" I asked "You said you'd enjoyed it and wanted to know more."

Blake dropped the annoyance she'd had for surprise. "It- um- was about… a wizard?"

That last part sounded like she was more asking herself the question than me.

"Ok… and?"

"And… and… the wizard contracted with a demon."

"Ok, why?"

"Because he wanted… knowledge?"

"… Are you sure you actually enjoyed the book Blake?"

"Y-yes, absolutely."

"Because it sounds like you're having trouble remembering it."

"N-no, I do, it's just that you caught me off guard and I'm trying to remember."

I scrutinized Blake for a bit longer. Then stopped, because it wasn't something that really merited interrogating my teammate over. It was about then that a thought occurred to me.

"Alright then. Since were on the topic though, did you ever finish that book I lent you?"

"O-oh, yea I did!" Blake said, accepting the change in subject "I've been re-reading it for a while actually."

"Really?" I asked "That's good to know, what'd you think of it?"

"It thought it was really good." Blake said with a soft smile "The characters were fun to read and it was funny at parts."

"Did it make you think, just a bit?"

"Just a bit." Blake agreed

"Good to know" I said, my own smile obscured "Did you have any part you particularly enjoyed?"

"Hmm… I think it would be the boy's speech at the end, after the slave gets taken in."

"Mm, I remember that part." I said "Gets me good every time I read it. The boy's got nothing to work with to save his friend. So he turns to some supposed 'higher being' for help. But realizing the being supposedly condones his friends enslavement, the boy flips the being the bird and goes forward anyway. That takes a pretty big pair of stones."

"I didn't think it was _that_ impressive." Blake said "It's a bit awe inspiring, sure, but I honestly didn't quite get why it was such a big deal."

"Well it's got more to do with the setting than anything. In the period where the book was written, slavery was still common practice. With plenty of its supporters claiming it was justified through religion or some shit. And for the region where the story is set, religion was also a huge influence."

"… So his whole speech." Blake said, slowly picking up "When he was talking about going to hell. He wasn't speaking figuratively-"

"He meant he was literally willing to walk into hell if it meant he could keep his friend safe and free."

Blake looked at me, her eyes having a new understanding. She now had an understanding of why that speech was so impactful.

"'Takes a lot of gall to say 'screw you' to the world you've been raised in and go do your own thing." I continued "But, sometimes, it's something you need to do regardless."

"… You sure know a lot about the book."

I shrugged "I've had plenty of time to read and re-read it. Plus I've read enough history books to know America around that time wasn't what one would call tolerant."

"America?" Blake asked in confusion "I thought the book took place in a place called Mississippi?"

"… uh-"

"-And what do you mean history books?"

I just kept walking for a moment, well aware I'd just let a not so small bit of information loose. It took me a moment to come up with a way to cover.

'… well, say something, dumbass.'

"I mean like- uh- historical fiction. You know, books set in a period in the past that portray a story in that setting?"

"I know what historical fiction is, and I'm pretty sure most of this book isn't historical."

"Well- I mean, there _was_ a point in history where there _were_ slaves, right?" I say, more assured than I felt "It's probably just based around that."

"Then why create an alternate fantasy world for the setting?"

"Uh-"

"Why not just base it in the kingdoms _of_ that period?"

"Um… Mister Twain didn't want to get sued for defamation?"

"Ok, fine… but what about 'America', What's that?"

"it's… the country where the story is set. They don't mention it in this book, but they did in the previous one."

"Previous one?"

"Y-yea, this one's a sequel to a book that followed the boy's friend Tom."

Blake scrutinized me for a moment. Her yellow eyes trying to pierce through my gas mask and see beyond it. Good thing she lacked that kind of power because my poker face was failing me.

"… I'll lend you a copy of it when I remember where I put it, ok?"

"… ok." Blake said still wary.

That was the last big conversation I had with her before we reached the station and boarded the airship.

* * *

 **I'd actually planned on trying to get this out on the 27th so it would be in time for the anniversary of this thing. Unfortunately, a certain holiday and work got in the way. So, here it is a tad late.**

 **"Irock108": Noice!**

 **"Dekuton":Well I can assure you, most everyone else thinks its getting ridiculous too, myself included. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before I can write the words "Fuck it, I'm an alien."**

 **"Ediros": You would be surprised how much proper nutrition and care can do for a plant. You want an example, look up the history and care for a Honeycrisp apple. Botany is an exact science.**

 **"IlliterateLibrarian935": Hiatus lifted.**

 **"Phazonic Steel": Get in line, there's easily thirty people reading this story that want to tear Goodwitch and Ozpin a new one.**

 **This Fanfic was brought to you by Hsu's Anger Management and Meditation classes: A calm mind is a prepared mind.**

 **Adios.**

 **\- Ash**


	20. Intermission 2-5: Weight in the Class

"It hurts~" Ruby grunted "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts-"

"Quit being such a baby." Weiss said "You're the one who's always complaining about being sore afterwards."

"That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt~"

"Ruby" I said with a grunt "If something as simple as this is painful, you should consider making a habit of warming up beforehand."

"S-shut up, Six." Ruby gasped

I changed positions and gently put my hands on Ruby's back. "You're almost there, just a little further."

"Ow ow ow ow ow-"

With a soft push, Ruby closed the remainder of the distance.

"OW!" Ruby gasped

"Done!" I said, satisfied

Ruby made a hissing noise as she sucked air through her teeth. She made it sound like she was in agony.

"… Yea, you should really consider warming up beforehand Ruby."

"S-shut up, Six."

"You're supposed to be the fastest person on the team." Weiss sighed in frustration "How is stretching _not_ something you do regularly?"

"I don't wanna stretch~" Ruby whined "I just wanna run~"

"Suck it up Ruby." I said "We still have to do your legs."

We were in Beacons main gym. The one they kept open near twenty four-seven so people to train themselves. It was something of an odd setup too. The majority of the complex was a large, warehouse like structure. With the majority of the space dedicated to an open area that felt like a man made cavern. Most of the structural parts were visible, there was an echo for days, and the entire place had the feel of being only half done. The floor looked to be some form of laminated wood, with lines painted in a massive oval ringing the gym. In the middle of the ring were rings of a different nature. Their floors padded and marked to denote if someone were to go out of bounds. Though they also appeared to be temporary fixtures that could be replaced. At the moment, they were laden with weights and equipment taken from a separate room. In the midst of them were the students, my team and I included. We were warming up for what constituted the 'exam' of the class. Yang, Blake, and Weiss were showing to have no trouble with it.

Ruby, on the other hand, was acting like she'd never warmed up before.

She was currently sitting on the floor with her legs spread in a V shape. Her upper body bent forward to stretch her back, with a little help from myself. She was about as limber as a knotted piece of dried wood. We'd tried a few other positions before this, and she couldn't even _touch her toes_. It was a miracle this girl hadn't seriously hurt herself while exercising in the past.

I gently eased off of her and Ruby slowly uncurled back to normal.

"Seriously Ruby" I said, getting to my feet. "How have you made it this far _without_ making stretching a regular thing?"

"I-I _do_ stretch-" Ruby said defensively. "I just… normally focus on my legs."

Ruby began picking herself up off the ground. She was dressed in attire that was… unusual, at least by my standards anyway. When the semester had started and training was regimented, we'd been allotted clothes to train in. It was the same uniform for each person, much as it was with our other classes. A thin white t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of shoes called 'sneakers'. Don't ask me why they're called that, they squeak like crazy.

In contrast to the standard uniforms, however, we'd been free to customize these. Change a few colors here and there, add some designs, things of that nature.

Ruby, for instance, had made her shorts red, scrawled our team name across the front of her shirt, and made sure the shorts reached her knees. On the back of her shirt she'd faintly emblazoned what looked like a rose, coloring both it and the text red. She wasn't dressed in any flashy, eye catching manner. The shirt might have been a tad snug, but that was about it. If I was being honest, Ruby was the most conservatively dressed person here.

I extended a hand and helped Ruby the rest of the way off the ground. She wobbled a little bit, but found her balance quick enough.

"Perhaps you should consider doing this more regularly." Weiss huffed "That way you're not complaining the whole way through."

Weiss was clad in clothes in a similar styling to Ruby, save for a swapping of colors and symbols. Her colors being an icy blue and a snowflake for a rose. Her shirt was still fairly snug, despite her chest being smaller than Ruby's. Something I was both surprised and ashamed I'd noticed. Her shorts were also only half the length of Ruby's and showed off a pair of pale, lithe legs.

"Imagine if she did." I grunted "She might not whine as much after working out."

Ruby gave me a pouty glare. " _Oh, look at me, I'm Six~_ " She said in a mocking tone " _I'm so amazing, I can touch my toes~_ "

In a spur of childish spite, I bent over and drummed my fingers off the toes of my shoes. "Hey, you're right, I can."

"… Jerk."

My own clothes were nothing special. I kept everything a neutral shade or two of gray. I'd also gotten the shorts lengthened into a full set of pants made from the same lightweight material. I genuinely felt naked in the clothes without showing off more skin. Of course, it didn't help that my shirt was hugging me so close it felt as if it were trying to fuse to my skin. Over it and my pants though, I'd strapped several series of weights. Enough to emulate, say, something heavier than my riot gear.

I un-bent and did a few light stretches of my own. It hadn't taken me long to get warmed up, but it was better that I double back on them than hurt myself.

A hearty thump to my back caught me about half way through a twist.

"Aw, lay off my little sis." Yang said smirking playfully "Even if she's stiff as a board, she'd still beat you in a foot race."

"Mmm, 'til her legs cramp up anyway." I said, averting my gaze

Yang rolled her eyes and came around fully for me to see her. I couldn't bring myself to do it. If Ruby was the most conservatively dressed, Yang was a free-bird when it came to clothes. She, like everyone else, had recolored and symbolized her clothes to match her tastes. Yellow, black, and what looked like a burning heart dyed over her right boob. Beyond that… well… Yang wasn't shy about her body. She'd cut her shirt high enough to reveal her, remarkably well-toned, stomach in addition to trimming the sleeves off. She'd also cut her shorts high enough that they resembled the pair she normally wore. Difference here being they were minus a skirt and stockings to cover her otherwise… healthy legs. She'd also pulled her hair back using the lavender bandana she normally had knotted around one of her boots.

Couple the skimpy clothing with the fact they were hugging her like cling-film and it made me feel awkward looking at her.

It also made my head feel inexplicably warm, but I had only the faintest idea why. Yang looked me over with a smirk for some reason.

"Attention huntsmen in training!" Port boomed "It's time to pay attention, you're about to receive your instructions for the exam!"

The other students began to congregate near Port. I took that as my cue to focus my attention elsewhere, and not on the not so small number of lightly dressed huntresses that were in the class. All of them ranging in dress somewhere between Yang and Ruby. Most of them displaying some amount of skin for some reason or another. As to why, I had no idea. I also I had no idea why I was having trouble focusing on Port and _not_ the female portion of class around me. It's not like I was surrounded by them either, there were guys too. But for the life of me I couldn't help but notice all the… well… skin. I resisted the urge to hit myself and instead just tried to reign my focus onto Port.

Almost mercifully, he was dressed like one of the students. Meaning shorts and a tight t-shirt. Being completely honest, no one _wanted_ to see any more of this man beyond his teaching suit. But in this instance, the sight of a hairy old man in clothes too tight and too small did wonders on helping my focus.

"Listen well students!" Port said, positioning himself beside an overhead rack with barbells and weights. "As you all know, a hunter: must be ready!"

I could almost feel everyone rolling their eyes at this point.

"- and to be ready, means to be prepped in mind, body, and spirit. As has been illustrated throughout the semester." Port moved beneath the rack and positioned himself beneath a bar already laden with weights. "In the prepping the body though, there is no short-cut. No notes, no meditations, and certainly no substitutes. No, there is only one true path to real preparation of the body: effort!"

With a heave, Port hoisted the bar free of the rack. Muscles tensing in his arms and legs. It suddenly became much more apparent how this man continued being a hunter. Beneath his… portly exterior, there was clearly still strong muscle at play. He set the weighted bar on his shoulders and lowered himself into a squat.

"To become a true hunter, you must learn the value of preparation. Of learning your limitations so you may break them. Only through true, concentrated effort, will that ever be achieved."

Port sprang upward, shifting the weight of the bar. With little noticeable effort, he hoisted the bar over his head and shifted it to one arm. Raising and lowering it slowly, exemplifying his efforts and strength.

"It is sad to say, many of you will never know the true power you may wield. Either due to unforeseen circumstance… or from lack of motivation." Port lowered the bar down and rested it back on his shoulders before returning it to the rack. "For this final the only thing preventing you from succeeding is the amount of effort _you_ are willing to put forth."

Port pulled out his scroll and tapped a few buttons. A rumbling resounded from the rest of the gym shortly there after and obstacles began to dot the oval that surrounded us. Hurdles, small walls, and what appeared to be a series of small pools.

"Your final is thus: Show your strength with the bar as I have just demonstrated. Then show me your speed and endurance on the track. Your base grade will be calculated on the amount of weight you use, you shortest time, and the number of laps you complete. Are there any questions?"

No one made any motions to say anything.

"Good, then you may begin at your leisure."

The various teams that the crowd consisted of began to group up and break off to the equipment. My own team included. It was about then that Blake rejoined us. I wasn't sure what had taken her so long to get to class, but she was here now. Black bow knotted to her head, A tight, short cropped t-shirt covering her torso and a pair of equally tight sweatpants on her legs. The clothes didn't hug her like they did Yang. Rather than clinging to her every curve, the clothes seemed to more gently caress her features. Showing off her shapely form without overtly showing anything.

It was still somehow trying to rob me of my focus.

'Seriously, the hell is wrong with me today?'

"Well look what the cat finally dragged in." Yang said with a smirk

Blake rolled her eyes in response. "How does that analogy even work here?"

"Don't think about it too hard."

I didn't even need to think about it. Yang's attempt at a pun completely broke the phrase. If Blake was the cat in this instance, what did she drag in? If she was supposed to have dragged herself in, then it wouldn't fit the original phrase. But if she was the object being dragged in then what was the cat, her clothes? Clothes can't drag people around, they're made of fabric.

I decided to stop before I hurt my brain trying to comprehend it.

"What'd I miss?" Blake asked

"Just the instructions for the final." Ruby supplied "Just some squats and running."

"What took you so long anyway?" I asked

"I was- um- studying for the Grimm biology exam."

"… aight."

Something about her response felt shifty to me. It was like Blake to run late, nor be uncertain in her studies. But that was probably just paranoia talking. Far as I was concerned, Blake was free to keep her own time.

My team and I set ourselves up at a rack and started prepping to take care of the final. I helped Yang gather as many barbell plates as we were going to need while the others kept stretching. It only took a minute to do and we were set to start not long after.

"Who wants to go first?" Ruby said, stealthily backing away from the rack and trying to put someone between her and it.

"I can go first if no one else is interested." Yang said, stretching her shoulders

"I'll go second then." I grunted

"Do we really need an order for this?" Weiss asked

"Depends, you want to go first snowflake?"

"N-no, but-"

"Then yes, we need an order. Otherwise you and Ruby will be tied for weakest link."

"W-weakest link!?" Ruby squeaked indignantly

"Yes, last I checked the two of you are tied for scrawniest."

Weiss scowled at me while Ruby looked down at herself with a self-conscious frown. It didn't take much for Yang to send a glare my way either.

"Considering your aura hasn't been activated, you're hardly any better off." Weiss huffed

"Bet I can still lift more than you though."

"That doesn't make you any better!"

"But it also means I'm not the _weakest_ link"

Weiss just kept scowling at me as I smirked behind my mask.

"… fine. How about a bet then?" Yang cut in

"Hm?" I grunted, turning to look at her. Then at the ceiling.

"A bet. If Weiss or my baby sis can lift more than you, then you have to…"

Yang seemed to ponder what my end of the bet would be for a moment. She apparently came up with something and began smirking. Whatever she was thinking though, Ruby beat her to the punch.

"You have to take off your mask." Ruby pouted

"My mask?"

"Yea, if we win then you have to take your mask off in front of everyone."

I stared at Ruby for a moment. If my eyes weren't deceiving me, she looked almost hurt by being called the weakest link.

"…heh, alright-" I said "Then what do I get if I win? This is a bet after all, so both sides have to wager something."

"hmm…"

"How 'bout a kiss?" Yang said, a playful smirk on her face

"Psh, I'd rather you put some pants on."

Yang's smirk dissolved and she just gave me a blank stare.

'… shit, I said that out loud.'

"… Ok." Yang said with a shrug "If you win, I'll 'put some pants on'."

"Wait, I wasn't being serious-"

"Too late" Ruby said quickly "Let's go."

I felt a jolt pass through me for a moment. The thought that if I failed here, I was going to have to take my mask. In front of _everyone_.

It passed quickly though, because it hinged on a very prominent _if_. I knew Ruby and Weiss were far from the strongest people on the team. If I'd been challenged by Yang, I might have actually been in a pickle. But I'd seen how Weiss and Ruby exercised. Neither of them ever focused on strength training. To them, being Agile was always more important. There was no way I was going to lose such a simple bet to them.

"… Alright." I sighed "I'll go first then."

"What about having an order?" Weiss said snidely

"Screw Order, I've got a contest to win."

I began grabbing weight plates and sliding them onto the bar. At first I assumed it wouldn't take much to put me ahead of Ruby and Weiss, but decided it wasn't worth the risk. I went for a full three hundred pounds. Under normal circumstances, my upper limit for _acceptable_ weight would have been a slightly lighter load. But I felt confident in the training I'd done. Going the full weight would be a good way to test that.

I removed the extraneous weights from myself and settle beneath the bar. Cool steel pressing into my shoulders.

"You ready?" Yang asked

I nodded and she gave the motion for me to start. With a small heave I lifted the bar from the rack and set myself into a stance. I could feel the pressure from the concentrated weight dig into my shoulders a little. I sucked in air as I lowered the weight with my legs, then expelled it evenly as I rose back up. With a small burst I forced the bar over my head, completing the motion. I then lowered it back to my shoulders and returned it back to the rack.

"Three hundred pounds." I said "Your move."

I stepped away from the bar and Ruby took my place. At first she looked warily at the mass of metal. As if she was seemingly afraid of the inanimate object.

Then she grabbed more plates and slid them on.

'what?'

She positioned herself beneath the bar and repeated the motion I'd done just prior. On what skin was exposed, I saw muscle tense and watched as Ruby completed the exercise smoothly. She returned the bar to the rack and sighed with relief.

"Three thirty." She said, smiling innocently

' _what_?'

Then it was Weiss's turn. Though unlike Ruby she refrained from adding weight, she actually even removed some before completing the exercise.

"Three hundred and twenty-five." She said Haughtily

'… fucking _what!?_ '

I couldn't help but stare at the two of them. Ruby smiling like she had just played some massive joke on me and Weiss smirking proudly.

"… Sooo, Six." Yang said, a broad smile on her face "How attached to your helmet are you?"

"You… you hustled me." I said in surprise.

Yang's smile melted into a coy smirk. "Hustle? That's such a dirty word. There's gotta be a better one."

"Trick, cheat, swindle, con, fraud, and gyp" Blake supplied, a small and satisfied smile on her face.

I could feel something rising up from the pit of my stomach. It felt like anger for getting tricked over something so juvenile. But I had a feeling it was more disgust for falling for something so basic. I should have known something was up the moment Yang suggested it.

Before I could capitalize on my impotent anger and disgust though, I was brought back to reality. A reality where I felt the, surprisingly soft, hands of Yang trying to remove my gasmask. Her fingers had just begun to curl around the strap under my chin before I snapped back. Narrowly avoiding cold-cocking her for violating my personal space.

"Hey~" Yang said, smirk vibrant on her face "A bet's a bet."

"You cheated and you know it." I growled

"You agreed to it though." Blake added

" _You_ stay out of this."

"Seriously, what's the big deal?" Yang asked "You trust us, don't you?"

"My trust is feelin' real stretched right about now Yang."

"Can we just get on with the test?" Weiss complained "We can waste time on this later."

"No way! If we give him enough time he'll just weasel out of it."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!"

Yang turned her attention back to me and made it plain with her body language what she was planning. I had no idea what the sudden renewed interest in my face was about, but it made me quite uneasy. Unfortunately, she also had me in a bind. I'd technically entered into an agreement with her. Unless I was suddenly willing to turn back on my word though, it meant I had to follow through on my word. It wouldn't be hard, I'd done it in the past. But I liked to make sure I didn't undercut the value of what I say by doubling back on it without good reason. Which left me with two options: take my mask off or dig myself in a bit deeper.

"Double or nothing." I said, moments before Yang took another lunge at me

Digging deeper sounded more appealing.

Yang lost her smirk and gave me a deadpan look. "Tsk, called it."

Weiss pinched her brow. "This is getting stupid."

"What?" I goaded "Feeling like you can't win without tricking me?"

That got a rise out of Yang alright. She glowered at me for a moment. "Is taking your mask off really that bad?"

"Maybe it is. Maybe I'm so damn hideous that I'd blind all four of you. "

"language." Weiss said

"… Fine." Yang shrugged "Double or nothing. If you lose this time, you… have to buy us dinner again."

"Sounds a bit steep." I grumble "… If I win, you have to put a shirt on too."

"Whatever" Yang rolled her eyes.

I moved back to the bar and began placing on a few more weights, just enough to put me past Ruby's three-hundred and thirty pound feat. I pushed it to a cool three-fifty and moved to get back underneath it.

"… Uh, what are you doing?" Yang asked

"Winning a bet, why?"

"Because it's double or nothing, remember?"

"Yea… and?"

"And that's not double."

I looked at Yang in confusion as I stepped back out from under the bar. "That's not what 'double or nothing' means."

"It is here." Yang said "If it was just as simple as letting you use slightly more than Ruby, it wouldn't really be a bet would it?"

"…" I couldn't help but feel like Yang was still trying to cheat here.

"Of course, you could always call it off." She smirked "Just take your mask off and forget about it."

I couldn't help but glare at Yang now. She was making this needlessly difficult. On top of that, I felt like my pride was being attacked.

"Six, just ignore Yang." Ruby finally broke in "You don't need to follow through on this whole thing."

"Why not?" Yang asked, confused

"Because he doesn't have an aura, remember?" Ruby answered, just a little softer so any prying ears couldn't hear.

"Oh… I kinda forgot about that for a bit."

"It's not fair to him if we try and hold him to something like this. Especially since he's so much weaker than us because of it."

I almost physically recoiled at that last bit. As though Ruby had just stabbed me with a shiv made of words. Unfortunately for Ruby, while it seemed she was now on my side, she'd succeeded in having the opposite effect.

"Double or nothing…" I grumbled, getting Yang and Ruby's attention back "That'd be what? About six hundred and sixty something pounds?"

"Six, I just said you don't-"

"I'll make it seven hundred just to be safe." I finished

Before Ruby could correct me, I moved back to the plates and began slapping the requisite metal discs on the bar. In the blink of an eye I'd doubled the weight hanging on the metal cylinder. It looked like a piece of sports equipment ripped straight from a comic book now. The bar was almost bowing under the newfound weight.

"Uh…" Yang said, suddenly wide eyed

I put myself under the bar and raised it off. My body screamed almost immediately in protest. But I pushed until the full weight was rested on my shoulders. It was a struggle just to keep balance with all that weight piled onto me. Every errant muscle twitch made it seem like I'd topple over. With seven hundred pounds of metal in close proximity to my neck, that would be a bad thing.

I sucked in a steady breath and allowed my legs to curl downward. It was the easy part. Well, eas _ier_ part. I had to control the fall down anyway. Keep it slow and controlled, make sure every muscle did their job and keep something from breaking.

Once I was down, I knew it would be a struggle to get up again. But I hadn't had a clear idea of how much. From where I was now though, it was plain as day. My legs practically locked into position once I'd reached the lowest point. Refusing to put out the power necessary to reverse the motion. The weight on my shoulders began to dig further down into me. It was getting harder to breathe with all the excess weight wanting to keep the air out. It took a deal of concentration to keep the breath I had trapped where I needed it.

I stayed like that for a second. Then two, as I realized just how heavy seven hundred pounds was. Then three, as my legs refused to listen. At four, my teammates seemed to realize I was stuck.

"D… do you need a hand?" Yang asked, surprisingly concerned

I didn't say anything in response. I was trying to keep focus and my lungs were starting to burn.

"… Six-"

" _I'm fine._ " I seethed

I realized my mistake a moment too late to regret it. I'd just let loose the air I needed to actually push upward. Making what was already difficult now feel nigh impossible. I could slowly start to feel myself go light headed and darkness was creeping into the edges of my vision.

'great going idiot, now you're going to asphyxiate yourselfn hav te durfjnabh'

With an even greater effort, I pulled some air in. not enough to help, but at least it was something. What I really needed though, was to get back up. But I knew it was going to hurt. With a steady hiss like a pneumatic piston, I exhaled and pushed myself upward. The progress was almost non-existent at first. But I had to roll my way through the muscles, that's never a quick process if you need to get the power out of them. Which is the reason I normally avoided pushing myself to this point. Strength only has meaning if it can be used effectively. If it's too slow, you'll never hit anything. If it burns through steam too fast, it won't last. I had strength, more than I ever regularly used. But it was useless if I ever needed to survive for long periods. I'd figured that much out once before, when I'd had to carry a weight more than twice this. It was strength that was completely worthless. Perhaps that was the reason Port hadn't run the track after his little demonstration.

I ran out of breath halfway through my rise, but pushed my way through the rest. Ignoring the burning in my chest. I managed it, somehow. I stood for a moment, weight still pressing into me, as I took a few deep breaths, wiping the burning from my lungs. There was a twinge of pain in my back, running down the middle of it long ways. Briefly I wondered if I'd hurt something. Then I remembered I had a Reinforced Spine. So unless something had disappeared on the trip here and I just hadn't noticed it yet, hard as that may be, I was probably fine.

I used the pain as a focus, driving my strength into my shoulders as I pushed the bar off of them. It felt good for a moment to not have the weight there. Then the pain flooded into my arms alongside the pressure. I continued the motion, slowly raising the seven hundred pound bar over my head until my arms could straighten out any further. It hurt the whole way through. It also took no small amount of effort to slowly, and carefully, lower the bar back onto my shoulders so I could put it back onto the rack.

As soon as I heard metal collide with metal, I felt my whole body relax as blood began to flow properly once more.

"Seven… Hundred… _pounds_ " I seethed glaring out through my gasmask.

If my teammates were stunned, I couldn't tell. I was getting tunnel vision. My mind was indulging in having fresh, oxygenated blood put back into it. I wasn't going to be fully coherent again for a few minutes.

As I passed Yang though, I gave her a bleary look up and down before I thought of something to say.

"Go put some clothes on."

I trotted past Yang and headed for the track. I wasn't going past seven hundred pounds. I just wanted to finish the test and be done with it now.

I passed by a few other teams as I went. I didn't recognize a few of them. But I recognized one or two faces and voices.

"Five-hundred." Cardin smirked, resting the bar.

"Six hundred." Velvet said springing upward.

"ONE THOUSAND!" Nora boomed

I slowed down as I passed by team JNPR. I saw Nora standing under the rack, a cartoonishly oversized bar held over her head.

By a single arm.

If the large, block letters were anything to go by, the bar did indeed weigh a thousand pounds.

Nora then pumped the bar overhead like it weighed the same as a ball-peen hammer.

'…fucking show-off.'

* * *

 **This was originally supposed to be a part of the previous intermission chapter, but due to personal length constraints I cut it down and made it into... this. After writing it, I don't know whether to consider it canon or just have it be an omake (or whatever) so I'll leave that up to you guys for now.**

 **"Han Swolo": Indeed, I'd had my suspicions about whether or not some sort of cataclysm had happened in Remnant's past (The moon was a hell of a giveaway). Guess we have our answer now, eh?**

 **"Cooldude888": I'll give points to Hsu on this one, We never get a canon point where Hsu loses his temper (that I can think of), But Ren's had a meltdown at least once so far.**

 **"FuzzyIdioms": Was he a part of the Shi? I wouldn't surprised, but I honestly don't know.**

 **"Unlucky Fausto:" *one reading later* "... Well, a beringel died on every page, just like the cover said." *+ 50 to unarmed(temporary)***

 **"Guest": Psh, oatmeal. Everyone knows that only cream o' wheat produces the finest of the grain based jets.**

 **Alright, now I can actually get started on the next chapter. Had to get this one out of the way first otherwise it would just be sitting here taunting me.**

 **Happy Holidays and Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	21. Intermission 3: Beat in the Heart

*special thanks to Mecharic for Beta-reading*

If I'd had any idea how deep into the shit me and Boone were going to have to dig to make Hildern happy I would've told him to go fuck himself. What he'd wanted from us was pretty straightforward on paper, just like everything else in my life. Hildern was a scientist of some variety, one sent to the Mojave to help oversee the power output from the dam. He was also in charge of researching potential solutions to the otherwise budding myriad of problems cropping up in the NCR. How he'd gotten to that position though was beyond me, since the guy was clearly dumber than a bag of mutfruit. He could talk a big game, and knew how to sell himself; I'd give him that much. But clearly he was ill-fit for the position he held, a reoccurring theme I was starting to notice. It didn't take much to notice either, just looking at his otherwise immaculate appearance set off a few alarms for me. It helped that his assistant, A miss Angela Williams, looked like she hadn't even had time to wash her face recently.

But for the sake of getting myself on better terms with the NCR at large, I'd ignored my instincts and followed through on what Hildern wanted. Again, terrible mistake.

What the job entailed was simple, the NCR was going to run into a food problem soon, something the Sharecroppers were going to help stave off. Except that something had been keeping the Sharecroppers behind on their quotas and they hadn't quite had the man power to figure out what yet. So instead of mustering the men to find out what, Hildern decided to do what any sane man would do. Try and dig up a bit of pre-war tech and knowledge, then bash it against the problem until something broke. You know, like a smart person. He told me and Boone about this place called Vault 22. A pre-war installation that'd been meant to keep people safe until after the bombs had fallen. Apparently, travelers who'd traveled near the place had been reporting for years that it was a literal oasis. That fresh food and plant life had been springing from the place for anyone to grab. What Hildern wanted to know, was how this was happening, why it was, and how the NCR could profit. So he told me and Boone to traverse the vault and locate any information about what went on there that allowed for the place to be how it was.

After a short stop to stock up on some essentials me and Boone hit the road. The place was only a few hours outside of outer Vegas, so it wasn't going to be a long walk. At that point I'd only been to one other Vault, Vault 21. I'd learned there that most of the Vaults had been run with some sort of sinister experiment in mind. So I couldn't help but think that the plants were somehow linked back to it. But until we got there and got looking, I wouldn't know for sure.

Aside from the warning sign outside that said 'STAY OUT! THE PLANTS KILL!' we weren't really sure what we were getting into. For all we knew, it just meant the plants were poisonous and that we were going to have to watch our step.

By the time we'd understood the actual meaning it'd been too late to go back.

The only way to traverse the place when we'd arrived was to use the stairs. The elevator was busted and I was too inexperienced with fixing things at the time to repair it without either killing it or me. So stairs it was. We went down the first floor or two without incident. The place looked like it hadn't been maintained for over two hundred years. Most of the plants had overflowed out of their containment and were rooted anywhere they could find space. Leaving most of the floors covered in dense foliage. The air was moist and humid, I'd never been to a swamp but got the feeling the atmosphere was similar. The place looked and felt abandoned.

It wasn't until Boone stepped in the wrong place that we found otherwise. We'd been working our way through the second floor when Boone stepped on… _something_. Some green humanoid abomination that had some form of spore colony growing out of its back. I'll just call them spore carriers for simplicity's sake. The carrier jumped Boone the moment after he'd stepped on it, and would've ripped his throat out if I hadn't taken its head off with Vulpes' Ripper.

Having been attacked by something we'd never seen before, we took that as our cue to turn tail back out of the place. Namely so we could come back with weapons better fit to fight whatever else was in there.

Unfortunately, my luck wouldn't allow that. We got back to the stairs only to find them blocked by a wall of freshly grown vines. Ones that, when I tried to cut them, made an attempt to entangle and pull me into them. If Boone hadn't been nearby to pull me back, I probably would've bought it right there.

Without even a clue of how it had happened, the worst outcome had occurred. Boone and I were trapped inside the vault. Worse, it was likely caused by the very things we'd come to collect in the first place.

Irony at its finest.

Without much better option, we pressed onward. The vines didn't follow us or close us in as we went deeper, so it was safe to assume these plants weren't sentient. But that didn't change the fact that we were trapped. Trapped with an army of spore carriers and, as we later discovered, _actual_ plants that were trying to kill us.

By the time the first day had ended, The two of us had made it to the fourth floor and sequestered ourselves in a locked off stairwell. We found this sweet laser rifle, which was a silver-lining, but it didn't do much for us.

We spent the next two scrounging supplies and trying to understand the Vault. We hadn't brought much to eat and the food in the Vault was mostly irradiated, big shocker there. We did discover one thing though. The spore plants, the other thing that was actively trying to kill us, tasted like desert salad. They were a bit fibrous, but at least they kept us full.

While we were at it, we made efforts to collect as much from the vault as we could. Apparently all the killer plants had kept people from looting the place. Go figure. There were plenty of jumpsuits lying around, in addition to medicine, ammo, and some other miscellaneous stuff. Like some sort of food additive this place had apparently been developing or some air-filters the maintenance crew had in stock. We also collected the data Hildern had wanted, for the little good it did us while we were stuck down there. I also made a point of trying to track down someone else who was supposedly there. Angela Williams had asked a favor of me. Apparently another of Hildern's assistants, a ghoul woman named Keely, had been sent here before us. She was supposed to only have been gone for a day or two, but hadn't reported in for nearly a week. Hildern didn't give two shits about her, unsurprising, but Angela had offered a bonus if we tracked Keely down. We'd been finding her notes scattered around the Vault, in between bouts of fighting off the ambushes by spore-carriers, most of which were meticulously ordered and showed an amazing attention to detail, a good sign she had an idea of what she was talking about. So on the fifth day, when we discovered the notes left by the Vault's previous inhabitants, we finally had an understanding of our situation. Calling it 'pretty fucking grim' would be an understatement.

To summarize: all of the spore carriers we'd fought and killed had been human once. Something had gone wrong with a set of filters and some plant spores that were being tested escaped to the rest of the vault. There were signs that they'd tried to contain it, but had failed and things had spiraled from there. Supposedly a small contingence of people had managed to escape the vault, but it was a scant number compared to the ones that'd been infected. It explained why this place was open and spewing plants though.

From what Keely's notes had shown the spores were still around too. They apparently didn't have much of an effect on her since she was a ghoul. The radiation in her must have been killing them off before they had any effect.

But Boone and I didn't have that. If we were lucky, some of the irradiated food was helping keep them at bay. But that didn't change the fact that the spores were in the air we were breathing, and my motorcycle helmet didn't have any filters built into it.

At the revelation that we were going to slowly turn into ravenous freaks, Boone and I changed gears and made it our prerogative to find Keely. If she was still alive, she probably would have a better idea at this point about what to do with our situation than either of us.

It took us a while to crack open the door she'd locked, and another hour or so to find her in the cavern she'd hidden away in. Of course, it didn't help that said cavern practically _was_ a swamp, teeming with the spore carriers and plants. But, again, not important. We got Keely out of the cavern and she was gracious enough to repair the elevator, finally giving Boone and myself an escape from the spores.

We were both tempted to jump ship right then and there, but we both knew that letting the spores spread in any concentration outside of the vault would be a bad idea. So we stuck around and listened to what Keely had to say. She was working to erase the data about how the spores were produced so they couldn't be replicated in the future. But that did little to actually destroy the ones that already existed. For that, she needed me and Boone to go back down and set off a contingency she'd made up. An explosive with enough heat to flash fry roughly ninety-five percent of them. The remaining five percent would likely be too damaged afterward to be viable anyway. She made it clear that there was no guarantee this would handle all of the problems either. The door to the Vault had been open so long that the likelihood there were already pockets of spores hidden in the Mojave was pretty high. But compared to what would happen if the Vault was left as it was, they were small tatos.

Which left us with one final issue: how to cause the explosion. Keely's contingency was an otherwise stable gas that wouldn't be set off by things like gunfire. Good thing, since Boone and I would've blown ourselves to pieces otherwise by now. But it was also only flammable if the appropriate amount of heat was applied, meaning we'd need _another_ explosion just to trigger this one. Fortunately, we'd found an alternative on our first day here. Unfortunately, it also meant we had no way to out-run the blast when we set it off.

Which meant what we were about to try next was going to be a gamble.

We were standing in the server room on the fifth floor of the vault, just a short distance from the vents Keely was pouring the gas from. Boone was pressed up against the wall right beside the door, hand waiting on the switch to close it. I held the AER-14 prototype laser rifle in my hands. It probably hadn't seen use in a few centuries, so I needed to make sure it wouldn't just explode when I tapped the trigger.

"This is insane." Boone growled "We're going to get ourselves killed"

"That hasn't stopped you in the past." I pointed out

"Yea, but I actually want to live now."

"So does everyone else Boone, which is why we're doing this."

"Doesn't mean that the way we're doing this isn't insane. Couldn't you just use a grenade?"

"Would if I had one. This isn't my favorite idea either."

Boone grimaced, we both hated this idea, but this was the only way we had to do it. And it just so happened to require cracker-jack timing on both our parts for it to work properly. Lest we both wind up extra-crispy.

I quit fiddling with the laser rifle and tested the stock. Making sure I could shoot straight with it. I wasn't going to be able to sight it in, so I was just going to have to hope.

"Alright, last second recap." I said "I pull the trigger, the laser fires, and you have at most a second to hit the button. If done right, the doors should be strong enough to keep the blast out and cook everything else down here. If we fuck up, the blast will sear us medium rare like a pair of Brahmin steaks. No pressure, right?"

Boone rolled his eyes and sighed. "Right…"

"Alright, I'll give the three count. On three, I shoot, ok?"

Boone nodded gravely. What could possibly go wrong?

"… Alright." I said "… One."

I put the stock into my shoulder and took aim.

"… Two."

Boone tensed on the wall, hand hovering just over the switch.

I took one last breath. Hopefully not my last.

"… Three!"

I pulled the trigger and a bolt of green light pierced through the air, colliding with the vent on the far end of the hall just outside the doorway. Boone slammed the switch down.

The flames erupted from the vent so fast I hardly had time to blink. They leapt outward, chasing the gas the permeated this level of the vault and the few above.

They reached the door a fraction of a second before the metal shutter slid shut. A cloud of flame and a wave of heat washed over me. It felt like I'd waved my face through a campfire for a second. A campfire that was large enough to blow me onto my ass. Before I could scream though, the door slid shut, cutting off the heated shockwave as the blast rippled across the rest of the Vault.

It took a moment for me to realize I wasn't dead yet. When I finally did, I picked myself up and found the front half of me was covered in soot. My skin stung a bit from the sudden flare of heat. But it didn't feel severe enough to warrant much more than a little aloe later.

"… heh, holy shit, we're alive." I said, looking to my companion "How you doin' Bo-"

I stopped halfway through and stared at Boone. Then had to stifle laughter at the sight of him.

Despite the fact that he'd been standing behind more cover than me, he looked like he'd been hit worse. The half of him that'd been standing closest to the door was blackened with soot and his clothes were half singed to ash. A lens from his Aviator glasses had been blown out, leaving one eye clearly exposed. His beret had been blown across the room, leaving his shaved head exposed. He looked like a goddamn mess and after everything we'd gone through down there, I needed a laugh.

"… heh." Boone chuckled, clearly relieved despite his stoic nature "he he heh."

"What's so *snrk* funny?" I asked

"You look like shit."

"Hmph, look who's talking, jackass."

We took a few minutes to collect ourselves after that. We'd been down there nearly a weak with nothing but constantly fighting to survive. We both needed a good laugh right then. After we were as collected as we could be, we took the elevator back up to Keely and handed the data we'd taken off to her to destroy. Keely said she was worried we'd put up a fight over but at that point, both me and Boone knew letting anyone have that kind of information was a bad idea. We double checked that we had everything and said our goodbyes to that shithole. If I'd had enough fuel, I'd have burned the place down on the way out for good measure. Instead, I had to settle for never giving us a reason to go back there.

As we squeezed through the giant Vault door and out into the Mojave once more, I took a moment to enjoy the dry desert air. After huffing the damp and dank Vault air for so long, it felt good.

"…So-" Boone asked, as we put distance between us and the Vault "What're you going to do about Hildern?"

"Tell him to go fuck himself, that's what." I grumbled "I'll explain what happened to Hsu and hope for the best. He seems like a level headed guy, and if I've got Keely and Williams to back me up he'll probably take my side over Hildern's."

"Sounds like it'll work. He's got a reputation for it."

"Good, because it's either that or risk taking plants out of the vault and I'm not about to do that."

"Hmm."

Boone and I stepped past the massive hills that sequestered Vault 22 from the rest of the Mojave in time to see the sunrise. Even with all the travelling I'd done, I'd only woken up to see the sunrise a handful of times. It was just one of the things I'd never made much time for. We stopped for a moment to watch it pick up past the horizon, dying the sky a cherry red.

It was about then that I noticed something about myself. As the first rays of light began to hit my skin, I could feel much of the weariness I'd accumulated over the past few day begin to melt away. Instead, replaced with an energy I wasn't wholly familiar with. An energy I wasn't averse to either. The aches began to ebb from me, and the stinging from my burned face began to fade. It felt good.

But I also knew whatever I was feeling wasn't normal.

"… You feel that?" Boone asked

My stomach did a little dip as I looked to Boone. Perhaps the feeling wasn't mutually exclusive.

"Feel what?" I asked, probing carefully to avoid freaking out.

"The sun." Boone said "It feels… good."

"… Good as in emotionally fulfilling, or as in you're feeling physically good?"

Boone turned and looked me in the eye. I could tell since he hadn't fixed his aviators and his un-lensed eye was staring at mine. He looked impassive, but his body language said he was uncertain himself.

"… oh fuck me you feel it too, don't you?"

Boone nodded gravely. Looking away from me and setting his jaw.

It'd been something I had considered while we were stuck down there, in the Vault. With all the time we were there, sucking in the dank air, why weren't we feeling the effects of the spores?

"… with everything down there…" I started "… you don't think-"

"Six, don't." Boone answered "We start down that path, only trouble's waiting for us."

"But if something happened-"

"Then we'll handle it when we get there." Boone said "At this point, we're surrounded by clean air and in a different environment than down there. If something is actually wrong with us, then there isn't much we can about it anyway."

"Then what _do_ we do?"

"Not a damn thing. Right now, all I want is to go back to the 38, get something to eat and drink, then sleep on something that isn't a set of metal stairs."

"…ok." I nodded "ok, yeah, I think I can get onboard with that."

"Good, after that you can figure out what to do next."

…

My eyes cracked open just before the alarm went off. There was a crick in my neck and back, and my legs felt numb. My face was laying against a table, with my arms cushioning it. My body was sore, it took me a moment to remember why, then another to remember why I was sleeping on a table.

I shifted my arms and set myself upright on my stool, freeing up a small area of lab table. Something that had been draped over me slid off and flopped onto the ground. It only registered at the edge of my waking mind though. I unbuckled my helmet and slid it up enough to rub my eyes. Rubbing the sleep out of them, I stared down at the lab table, trying to put the pieces back together. I was surrounded by an assortment of beakers, test tubes, burners, and a litany of other items, including the remains of some thoroughly abused Xander root and Brock flower petals.

The smell of scorched plant matter was the next thing to hit me.

Sitting over top of a burner was a glass beaker on a stand the bottom of the beaker had been scorched black and there was a large crack running the height of it. Around the stand was a puddle of dried liquid and macerated plant bits. My brain finally began clicking into gear as I remembered what I'd been doing.

'Well, I guess that makes batch number seven a failure.'

I didn't have the clearest recollection of how my night had ended. I could remember setting my most recent attempt at a stimpack - number seven - on the burner, hoping the heat would condense everything and breakdown or denature some of the stronger compounds. I'd decided on using a slower and longer heat cycle for this batch, to see if extended time was the key. Unfortunately, after that everything got a bit hazy, and I had an idea as to why. Now I was going to have to repeat everything just to find out what the results were.

I looked at the burner and took note of something. It had been put out, and I couldn't see or smell any gas leaking, which would mean I'd either run the school's supply dry or had enough presence of mind to turn the thing off before passing out. But then why was the glass scorched? The glass was cracked, and there was a dried puddle surrounding everything. Maybe the beaker had doused the burner? But if that were the case I'd have suffocated myself, the gas would've filled the room while I was sleeping. I knew better than to chalk it up to good luck, that's always in short supply.

What it came down to at the moment though was that I was still, woefully, half-asleep. I'd be able to get a better idea of things once I was fully cognizant. My hands fumbled with the tin of coffee beans as I pulled it from my collection of odds and ends. I set it on the table and cleared the cracked beaker from the burner. Replacing the ruined piece of glassware with a fresh one. I dumped some fresh water into it and moved to re-light the burner with my lighter. I stopped before that though, and double checked the burner itself. If there were some mechanical reason why it turned off, trying to re-light it might have disastrous effects. From what I could observe though, there appeared to be nothing physically wrong with it. So I went through with igniting it anyway. It lit smoothly and kept an even flame.

I let the water heat up as I began to clean my mess. I mopped up the spilled remnants of batch seven and disposed of any spoiled ingredients. I took the broken beaker for safe keeping. I'd need to dispose of it more thoroughly later. If there was anything anyone could glean from it, no sense in letting them get ahold of it.

As the water began to bubble, I roughly ground some beans and bundled them into a cloth sieve. The old Mojave recipe would've called for me to throw a spat of chewing tobacco in too. To help make the coffee stronger. Personally, I was glad the beans here in Screwball land were better by default. I liked not having my coffee taste like someone spat hundred year old chaw into it.

I killed the heat and set the sieve into the beaker. The sieve began to stain the water a murky brown as the roasted beans steeped. I took the opportunity to get up from my stool and stretch. Sleeping on a stool isn't what one would call comfortable, but I knew it was only partly to blame for the pain that pervaded me. Most of my musculature was sore but my legs and shoulders were the worst though. Pushing seven hundred pounds yesterday wouldn't have been so bad, but I'd run an extra fifty laps after that. Normally not much of an issue, considering my near limitless endurance, but I didn't like pushing it unless I had to - especially when I was lacking in the medicine to help piece me back together.

I arched my back downward as I reached for my toes, stretching the muscles that ran parallel to my spine back to usable shape.

It was about then that I noticed the blanket laying on the floor.

I stayed bent over, staring at the stretch of cloth. I could vaguely remember it falling off of me before when I woke up, though I hadn't really registered it as a blanket. In fact, I didn't recognize it at all. It was a dark blue piece of soft fabric that was wholly alien to me. From what it had seemed like, I'd passed out while working on the most recent test batch. I wouldn't have been able to pull a blanket on myself, I didn't even _have_ a blanket with me. Where did it even _come_ from?

I finally put two and two together at about the same time as the door swung open.

I swung upright, slapping my helmet back down in the process, and put myself in a fighting stance. It was an old reflex, and one I was intending to keep a firm hold on. Standing in the entryway to the lab was Professor Peach.

Holding a tray with a steaming bowl of something on it.

She stared at me blankly for a moment, blinked, and then quirked a smile.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're awake now."

Obviously unphased by the fact I was standing there and ready to attack her, Peach pressed forward. She walked up to the lab table and set the tray and bowl on the table top. It looked to be filled with cereal of some kind. Might've been grits, given the texture and the fact that it was clearly hot. But it looked off. There some thick, yellowed skin covering part of it and I could see brown bits congealed amongst the rest. I looked uncertainly back and forth between her and the bowl. After a moment, she gave me an amused smile.

"… well?" Peach asked "Are you going to continue standing there or would you like to eat before your finals today?"

"Depends, why're you bringing me food, how'd you know I was here, and how do I know it's safe to eat?"

Peach blinked once more in surprise, then gave a light chuckle. "My, someone's a tad paranoid."

'Only around those I know I need to be.' I thought

"Well, to answer:-" Peach continued lightly "I _hadn't_ known you were here until I came in earlier this morning and found you passed out at that table." She motioned to the table "You hadn't even managed to put out the burner before you fell asleep. A large safety hazard, Mister Six."

I rolled my eyes in response.

"Secondly, I brought you something to eat because I'd assumed when you woke up you'd be hungry. That way you might be able to continue working. The blanket was also because you appeared to be a bit cold."

I looked down at the blue sheet before bending over to pick it up. I folded it and set it on my stool, no sense in letting it get too dirty.

"Thirdly" She said, placing a spoon into the bowl of mush "While I understand that the cafeteria's food is not the most tasteful, I assure you, it's not poisoned."

Peach stepped away from the bowl and motioned that I could sit back down. My gaze lingered on her as I acquiesced, but I didn't touch the food she'd brought.

"Sorry if I seem a little cagey." I said, probably not sounding very apologetic. "I wasn't expecting anyone to use the lab."

'Or that I was going to fall asleep while using it.'

"Neither was I." Peach continued brightly "Especially when I found the door was still locked."

"Uh… I was hoping for some privacy."

She chuckled lightly casting a sharp eye over my most recent failure. "I can't possibly imagine why."

A part of me felt the instinctual urge to cover what I was doing, but I got the feeling there was no point now. She'd probably gotten a semi-decent look at it already. Plus, she didn't seem to have any idea what I was specifically doing. If I started making moves now I would just appear guilty.

"I'm genuinely surprised though." Peach continued "I wasn't expecting to find a member of my club having broken into the lab just to continue work."

"… Excuse me?"

"Well, I mean, that's what you are after all. A member of the Botany club." Peach's smile suddenly gained an edge to it. She motioned to the materials I had scattered on the table. "I can excuse a little trouble, after all, when my students are so clearly dedicated to their work."

I stayed silent and stared at Peach for a moment. I picked up on what she was trying to do immediately.

"I am not-"

"Of course-" She continued "If you hadn't been a member of the botany club and I'd found you in here, things would be different." She reached out and picked up some of the brock flowers from the table. I wanted to stop her, but got the feeling doing so would only give her more ammunition for the incoming salvo. "If you were just an unaffiliated student, you'd have to face punishment for a number of different infractions."

"Infractions?"

"Of course. After all, you can't just break into classrooms and use the equipment with impunity. Both of those are infractions in and of themselves. There's also the fact that whatever you're attempting to make while unsupervised could be potentially harmful. Speaking of which, what were you making?"

"… vitamins." I answered after a moment. "I was working on a way to make vitamins."

Peach nodded acceptingly. That was a good sign, it meant she still had no idea what I was really up to. The less anyone knew the better.

"Regardless of your intentions, as long as it's a club related activity those infractions can be overlooked. And you are a club member, aren't you?"

I glared at Peach through the lenses of my gasmask. She was blackmailing me, no bones about it, but it seemed she was also ignorant of what I was actually up to. In an ideal situation I'd be able to talk my way out of it somehow. Convince Peach I wasn't worth the effort and go about my business. But she had me by the balls now. If I didn't play along she could easily go to Ozpin or, worse, Goodwitch and hand them everything. I was willing to trust Ozpin for the moment, but I sure as hell wasn't going to hand over information like this to the man. I had little doubt it would somehow come back to bite me.

My unease and distaste must've been apparent too. Because Peach, after a moment, continued.

"Of course, I'm not saying that you're a particularly _diligent_ member. You hardly ever show up to the meetings."

"I don't have a great fondness for group activities."

"As I've seen. But, as a member, you should come to a meeting on occasion. Maybe no less than once a week?"

It seemed she was bargaining with me now. Still blackmailing me, but trying to make me more agreeable to it. Unfortunately, I still wasn't in much of a position where I could do something about it. What was I going to do, run over to Ozpin and tell him I was being blackmailed? He'd want to know why too.

I didn't want to go back to working for Peach in any capacity, but I needed Stimpacks. Which wasn't going to happen if I didn't play along, and I didn't have many options. Making her 'disappear' was certainly out of the question for a number of reasons.

"… Fine." I sighed, bitter "I'll show up to a few meetings from now on, but no more than once a week."

"Excellent." Peach smiled "Our next meeting is Thursday over summer break. Any members still on campus are welcome to come. Enjoy your breakfast."

With that she turned and proceeded out the door, closing it behind her. I slumped back onto my stool and held my head in my hands. That was a hell of a way to wake up.

'Fuck's sake, she really is worse than Goodwitch.'

…

The rest of my morning was filled with more failed attempts at chemistry and misery. I felt no closer to unraveling the secret to making Stimpacks from the available ingredients. Worse, now I was being blackmailed. Today had started bad and I knew it was only going downhill from there.

Because today was the final for combat practice.

After a few hours of sitting and failing, I hobbled my way to the sparring room and settled onto a bench alongside my teammates. I didn't hurt as much as I did earlier, but I still didn't have much patience in me.

I sat hunched over on the bench, not quite tuning out the rest of the class, but putting it far enough out of my mind to focus on other things.

Starting with my blackmail situation: Peach didn't have much on me at the moment, which was good, but she did have something on me, which was bad. She had me for small crimes, in reality. Breaking and entering plus potentially illegal use of school property weren't the most serious of crimes. If played right, I might be able to work my way out one way or another. However, that was then compounded by the fact that, should she go to Ozpin, he'd likely take an interest in what I was doing. He clearly wanted to know more about my world and so far hadn't pushed too hard to find out. But if he were to catch wind of this there's little doubt he would take some level of interest in it.

Then there was the issue of the stimpacks. I was still no closer to having a working formula despite my efforts. It was like a giant balancing act, I change one thing and thirteen different factors changed in the process. I try to increase the acidity, I basically produce poison. I try to rebalance it, I destroy the nutrients I need to actually make it work. It made me seriously wonder how the hell they'd made the stuff before the war. Even given the different ingredients I was working with, trying to re-work this thing was a nightmare.

Then there was the _other_ issue I wasn't wanting to give much thought to: 'What the hell happened to Dala?'. I was still two and O for ideas on how to find her and I wasn't coming any closer to having a clue. My pip-boy wasn't any help even though I'd made it a morning routine now to wake up and spout any variation of 'find Dala' I could think of at it.

I was at the point that, if one more thing went wrong, I was going to snap and burn the whole school to the ground. Then dance on the ashes while singing 'Ain't that a kick in the head?'. Because all it was going to take was one more fucking thing going to hell in a handbasket and SOMEONE WAS GOING TO DIE.

'… I seriously need to blow off some steam.'

Up in the front of the students, Goodwitch was giving off instructions for the final as well as some other, probably not important information.

"- So that no one else loses any eyes, we'll be replacing the fire extinguishers before the start of next semester." She said, adjusting her glasses "Now then, in regards to Next semester's sparring classes." Goodwitch motioned to the hole in the wall. "Due to the structural failings of this room, we'll be integrating this class with the advanced courses. Starting next semester you'll be sharing and sparring with your senior classmen in the main combat atrium. You've been forewarned."

There was some murmuring amongst the students at that. Mostly accepting, but there appeared to be a few groans. Seems some people were worried about getting their asses handed to them.

"Now, to the matter at hand-" Goodwitch continued "As you are all aware, today is the final chance to fulfill any lingering requirements for the class. Which means that those of you who haven't sparred enough, today is the last chance to remedy that or double your requirements for next semester."

"There were requirements for this class?" I murmured

"Yea." Ruby said, looking over to me "You needed to spar at least three times to get a passing grade."

"Oh, psh, nothing to worry about then."

"… Yes there is." Weiss cut in "You've only gone twice."

"What?"

"You've only officially sparred twice so far."

I looked to Weiss in confusion. "No… I've fought Yang twice, plus the whole of team CRDL. That's three right there."

"Your second match with Yang doesn't count, you did it during group session rather than as an official match."

"… bullshit."

Weiss glared at me for a moment, then turned back to face Ms. Goodwitch before raising her hand.

"Yes, Ms. Schnee?" Goodwitch asked

"I have a question regarding some of the sparring sessions this past semester."

"And they would be?"

"A few times over the semester we had sparring matches consisting of varying sizes. Instead of one on one, they would be doubles or one against four, how would those matches be scored?"

"An excellent question, In those circumstances they matches would be counted as more than one depending on a number of factors. Ranging from their length, to the number of people involved, and the level of improvement shown." Goodwitch's eyes seemed to narrow onto me. "A match, for example, like the one between Team CRDL and your teammate, would qualify as two."

I smiled at that, it meant that even if my rematch with Yang hadn't been official I still hit the mark.

"Interesting… is there anything that would _disqualify_ a match?"

"Indeed there is." Goodwitch continued "If a match is too short, it can be disqualified on the grounds of not meeting the minimum time requirement."

I felt my confidence evaporate and got a sinking feeling in my gut. I looked at Goodwitch, even with my mask on I got the feeling she was reading my face. She smirked a little

"An example of that would _also_ come from your teammates. Ms. Xiao Long's official spar with Mister Six lasted a short enough period that it doesn't qualify for either of them. That, and it fails the competency and challenge requirements as well, having lasted only a single punch before ending."

"Oh this is such a load of crap." I said

Goodwitch's look sharpened "Mister Six, unless you have a desire to be punished, please watch your language."

"I'm sorry, I get punched through a _fucking wall_ and that's not good enough?"

"Mister Six" She said more sharply "While your second bout may have qualified, your refusal to make it an official match invalidated your efforts. The only person at fault here is you for your overt stubbornness. Especially considering you've also now put Miss Xiao Long in a similar position as yourself."

"He has!?" Yang chirped

"Yes, he has. Despite your propensity for combat Ms. Xiao Long, your two invalidated matches with Mister Six have left you in deficit as well."

I felt a small murmur ripple through the classroom as most of the students began to look back and forth between us and Goodwitch. Here I was, thinking I wouldn't have to worry about this stupid class. That there wasn't any feasible way you could have a final exam in class like this. Well, here I was, a fight short and going to need double next semester. Just what I needed on top of everything else.

'… actually, it might be. I needed a distraction anyway.'

"Alright, fine." I said "You want us both to go another round, we'll do just that."

Goodwitch blinked and quirked up an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"We're both short a fight, right?"

"… Yes."

"Then the fastest way to fix that is to have us fight each other, right?"

"That is not incorrect but-"

I ignored Goodwitch and turned to Yang "You ready for round three?"

Yang blinked and actually looked a bit surprised "Six I-I don't think-"

"Great, Let's go!"

I ignored Yang and walked to the locker room. I felt her reaction to fighting was a bit off, but I could easily chalk that up to not expecting me to initiate it. All I had to do was last long enough and put up enough of a fight to satisfy whatever Brahmin crap standard this place had. Shouldn't be too hard. Even if Yang was using her gauntlets, I had at least gone toe to toe with her once now. I had a few ideas of how she ticked.

In the locker room I ditched my uniform and pulled on Byz's leather armor. I cinched the bracers on tight and made sure the spaulder was in place. The leather vest still a bit stiff, but was probably going to be broken in by the end of today. I examined myself in the mirror to make sure everything was on properly, then moved onto my tools. I wrapped my fists in the boxing wraps and did a few jabs. I was a little giddy to finally use them, even if they were just strips of cloth. Felt nice to validate at least some of my decisions.

As I tested my wraps, I looked back amongst the rest of my weapons. Now I had an idea of what I was up against in fighting Yang. I knew she could take some degree of punishment. That night at the docks had shown as much. Plus aura, whatever it actually was, provided a level of defense against harm, even against bullets. I could easily go in guns blazing, level the playing field completely between us… maybe. But the idea of doing that still didn't sit right with me. Because I had first-hand experience in pushing aura past it's apparent breaking point as well. The results were red.

So instead of reaching for a hole puncher, I grabbed slicer. Something small, concealable, and a bit more multi-functional than a gun. I had a possible idea about how I could use it, but that was going to be a gamble all its own. I slid it into the cuff of my sleeve, wrapping a small length of the boxing wraps to it. With that, I was as ready as I was going to be so I walked back out of the locker room.

By the time I got back to the ring, Yang had already been waiting for me. She looked at me in growing confusion.

"You blew a hole in my old outfit." I supplied "Had to get a new one."

Yang nodded, her brow knitted and a look of concern on her face. If I were a betting man, I'd have said she was being reluctant for some reason. But that didn't make sense, this was _Yang_ , the girl was practically 'fun' personified. Or at least was tied with Nora.

"The rules stand the same as they have for the past semester." Goodwitch said from the sidelines "You are to spar until your opponent has their aura depleted, is removed from the ring, or is otherwise rendered incapable of fighting. I must, once more, ask you to keep your fighting to within reasonable limits… That means _you_ mister Six."

I fought the urge to flip her the bird right then and there.

With a tap of her scroll, the overhead displays produced a picture of me and Yang, in addition to a colored bar for each. If my understanding was fully grounded, we were both set to go.

"Are both combatants ready?"

I nodded and got into a fighting stance. Raring and ready for once to pummel or get pummeled.

Yang surprised me by actually doing the opposite.

"I'm sorry miss Goodwitch." Yang said, raising an arm "But I don't think I'm comfortable with this."

'… umm… what?'

"Excuse me?" Goodwitch asked, vocalizing my thoughts

"I know we _have_ to do this… but- uh- I don't think this is a good idea."

I looked at Yang in confusion, feeling my head tilt to the side as I dropped my stance and set myself to rights.

"I'm sorry Yang… what?" I asked "You've punched me through a wall and _now_ you're not comfortable sparring with me?"

"I'm afraid I must agree with Mister Six." Goodwitch said "You're newfound hesitance seems rather unfounded."

'Eugh, being in the same boat as Goodwitch makes me feel unclean.'

"Boo!" I heard someone shout from the peanut gallery "I wanna see you put him through the wall again!"

"Kindly remain silent Mister Winchester." Goodwitch responded.

"What's the holdup Yang?" I asked stepping closer "You were all gung ho about us punching each other before. You suddenly come down with a case of Hexaphobia?"

"N-no!" Yang said, obviously insulted by the idea. "Look, I just… I just don't think us sparring is a good idea, alright?"

"Yea? Well tough luck sunshine. We don't get a say in the matter. Unless, of course, you're saying you'd rather-"

"Why is that?" Goodwitch interrupted

Yang and I looked to Goodwitch. It was rude to interrupt people when they were talking, but we were both working toward a common goal at the moment. So I let it slide.

"Why what?" Yang asked

"Why do think it's a bad idea for you to spar with your teammate?"

"… N-no reason."

"Miss Xiao Long" Goodwitch began eyeing Yang intently "This unwillingness is unlike you. Unless you provide an adequate reason why you shouldn't fight, the spar will proceed forward."

'Seriously, I should not be agreeing with Goodwitch.'

"Seriously, what's the deal Yang?" I pestered "Normally I'm the one who'd be saying this was a bad idea, What's going on?"

"Nothing!" She said, annoyed "It's… it's just…"

"Just. What?"

Yang looked out to rest of the students present, clearly frustrated by something. When she turned back to me she looked surprisingly annoyed. Like I was twisting her arm over something I should be picking up on.

"Because you don't have an _aura_ … you stubborn numbskull."

She said that last part just soft enough so I was the only one who heard it. I could've sworn after she said it though, the atrium was quiet enough that you could hear a pin drop. It was hard to tell, because I could suddenly hear my own heartbeat in my ears. I really was an idiot, how the hell did I forget about that?

"… is that true Mister Six?" Goodwitch asked, turning a pointed eye towards me.

I had to resist the urge to shout, 'No shit, bitch!'. She already knew I didn't have one. She was probably only asking so she could avoid any culpability of putting me in danger. Unfortunately, it'd just be my word against hers then, and everyone had more reason to take hers over mine.

"If it is, then what's the big deal?" I asked

The silence that pervaded the room lasted a moment longer. Then it evaporated, replaced by rapid murmuring from the rest of the class. It made sense then why Yang had tried to avoid drawing attention to it. Now my secret was out completely.

Well, one of them anyway.

"Mister Six-" Goodwitch continued after a moment "- an aura is one of the most fundamental tools in a huntsman's arsenal-"

"Yea- yea." I said, waving my hand sarcastically "Through the power and might of my soul I can break evil over my knee and shrug off getting shot by a tank."

Goodwitch actually blinked in surprise at that one.

"… wait." Yang said, turning to look at the overhead monitors. "If you don't have an aura, what's on the monitor up there?"

"My current condition."

Yang looked at me in confusion.

"I did say the thing on my wrist tracks a whole bunch of health related, right?"

"I vaguely remember that." Goodwitch said

"Well, that's why it's tracking it." I said, pointing to the monitor. "This thing takes my heart beat, blood pressure, body temp, and a multitude of other variables and condenses them down into one easily understood line. If it's full, I'm fine. If it's empty, call me a mortician."

"So any time you sparred in the past, you were actually getting hurt?" Yang asked

"Obviously."

"Doesn't that mean he also beat team CRDL without an aura?" I heard someone ask from the peanut gallery, probably Jaune.

"Yes it does and they should be ashamed." I answered, diverting attention away from me slightly.

A bit of laughter erupted from the rest of the class.

"Well, I'm afraid we can't allow you to spar then." Goodwitch said

"Why not?"

"Because, as you just made apparent, you don't have an aura. Or a clear understanding of what it is."

"Well that's because the last person who tried either couldn't or wouldn't stop trying to pretty it up."

I could see Weiss glaring at me from the crowd.

"Then I'll give you the 'simple' explanation of aura." Good witch stated "Through the use of your soul, you can increase your strength, stamina, and speed. It also will actively shield you from being hurt."

I stared at Goodwitch blankly. "Seriously, again with this?"

Goodwitch looked confused "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You honestly expect me to buy into this 'souls give you special abilities' garbage?"

"Garbage? Mister Six, its documented fact that-"

"That what? The human soul is real and lets you do magical BS?"

"It is and it is most certainly not magic." Goodwitch said sharply "Now watch your language."

"Right~" I sniped sarcastically "Because believing in some abstract manifestation of the human consciousness and after-life is a sure fire way to get super powers."

After saying it out loud, a strange thought crept into the back of my head.

'… Is that why Joshua was so hard to kill?'

I did my best to quickly silence that train of thought.

"I find your skepticism in established, documented, and widely used practices disturbing." Goodwitch said

"Will two just hurry up and fight?" Another voice called from the crowd "Some of us want to get on with our day."

'Then piss off, you vacuously twiney sphincter.'

"Very well then." Goodwitch sighed in frustration "If you refuse to step down, then we will have to remedy your issues with aura."

"And just how do you plan to do that?"

"Like so:" Goodwitch said, with a smile that oozed condescension "Ms. Xiao Long, please help Mister Six unlock his aura."

I looked at Goodwitch, then back to Yang. She looked as confused as I felt about the whole thing.

"… Now?" I asked looking back to Goodwitch.

"I don't see a reason as to why not. It's a simple enough process. You have nothing to lose by unlocking it."

I thought about it for a moment, what _did_ I have to lose. If what they were saying was true, it opened a whole new avenue for me in terms of staying alive. I'd gain all the benefits with seemingly no downside aside from looking like a jackass. Clearly aura, whatever it may have been, was just a natural part of this world. It wouldn't make sense for me not to at least try it.

But there was a caveat to that. If they weren't being metaphorical, which I doubted anyway, then everyone here knew that it took a soul to have an aura. Which would open up a _lot_ of avenues that I had no desire to walk down, or start trains of thought I didn't want to ride. Worse still, what if it didn't take? There was no guarantee I was going to get an aura. Which would imply to everyone here that I didn't have a soul. Probably not a good thing.

'And here I am, stuck between the rock of 'damned if I do' and the hard place of 'fucked either way'.'

I'd walked myself into this now, the only choice I had left was to play.

"Alright, fine" I sighed "Let's get this over with." I walked up to Yang, not quite sure what to do. "… What am I supposed to do?"

"Just… hold still." Yang said.

"Oookay."

Yang rolled shoulders and, with surprising grace, gently reached out and put her open right palm on my chest. She went to say something, then blinked and stared down at my chest.

"… what is it?" I asked

"Uh… nothing, it's just… you've got a very strong heart beat."

"Thank you, I take good care of it."

'And they say Cardiac Arrest isn't a good thing.'

"R-right."

Yang focused and for a moment I felt as if her hand was forcing itself harder against my chest.

"For it is in passing that we _blah blah blah_ " Yang said softly, almost embarrassed " _yadda yadda_ paragon of virtue and glory-"

I tuned Yang out as I began to feel something stirring in my chest. A warm pressure that I could feel beginning to well.

"Infinite in distance _blah blah_ I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee."

Yang removed her hand from my chest, but the warmth stayed. I felt it begin to grow, encompass the core of my being. A pressure grew with it. A pressure that willed it to move. I felt the warmth rise, quickly and steadily.

I bit back the urge to burp in Yang's face, exhaling it through my nose. The warmth vanished in a cloud of hot breath.

Yang stared at me a moment, then frowned.

"… Is something supposed to happen?" I asked "Because I don't feel any different."

"No, That's all there is to the awakening ceremony." Goodwitch said, perplexed. "Your aura should be unlocked now."

"Well… is it?" I asked

"It doesn't appear to be." Goodwitch frowned

I pushed down any degree of panic before it could rise. Needed to keep cool. "Wonderful, any ideas why?"

"Not many, the only defining factors when it comes to activating an aura is the training and willpower of the unawakened. Unless Miss Xiao Long has been slacking in her training, your aura should be active now."

"… Well I'm certainly not feeling any different. Am I supposed to look different?"

"Hardly." Yang said dryly

"Perhaps you should go visit the campus physician Mister Six. He may be able to shed some light on this situation."

'Yay, just what I wanted: To spend time with _that_ cranky jerkoff.'

"What about our spar?" I asked.

"Given the nature of your situation, a temporary hold will be applied to you. Until the situation regarding your aura can be properly addressed, you will not be forced to participate. Though I insist you get it handled as soon as possible."

Part of me wanted to reach out and slap Goodwitch. She'd known the entire time that I didn't have an aura. At least, I was fairly certain she did. I'd told Ozpin at one point and I was fairly certain he'd at least share it with the one other person who was aware of my situation. But now that my aura situation was public, she wasn't going to force me to go through with anything. It didn't seem anyone was jumping to any conclusions about it either, yet. But that did me little comfort, since it still left me without any immediate answers.

But the way Goodwitch had worded her answer just now, did provide me with some small comfort.

"So you won't force me to fight-" I continued "But if I want to, I'm more than welcome to?"

"Well… yes, but I don't see any reason why-"

I about-faced back to Yang. I really wanted to spar now, namely so I could put the past few minutes out of mind in addition to the past few hours. If I didn't let off some steam I was going to be one unexpected jab away from doing something regrettably stupid.

"I've got no reason to stop now." I said "You still wanna do this?"

"I just said I wasn't comfortable with this." Yang said pointedly

"Yea, well I wasn't ok with it before either, guess what happened."

"Well how was I supposed to know you didn't have an aura?" She asked incredulously "I punched you into a wall and you were _fine_."

"Then what's the hold up?" I asked, slowly getting fed up "You know I can handle what you dish, so hit me already!"

"But now I'm worried I'm going to accidently hurt you."

"Didn't stop you before."

"Six I know you're strong and everything-"

"Yang."

But I'm not going to be ok with hurting you. Without an aura your-"

"I'm what!?" I snapped, getting pretty close to done now. "Because I swear, if you're about to say some stupid shit like I'm 'weaker' or more 'frail' than the rest of you, I'm going to deck you."

Yang stayed silent.

'… that's exactly what she was going to say, wasn't it.'

"… put'em up Yang."

I began closing the remaining distance between me and Yang.

"Look, Six, I-"

Before Yang could finish, my right arm flicked outward and caught her on the chin. It was a solid hit, and Yang stumbled backwards, failing to react in time. Her eyes widened in surprise. She apparently hadn't planned on getting punched in the face.

"Put'em up." I reiterated, still slowly closing the space.

Before Yang could react again, my left arm flicked out, hitting her in the cheek.

"Six-" Yang growled

I silenced her with a flick of my right to the other cheek.

"Put'em up Yang." I growled "Or I'm just going to keep hitting you."

I was officially in the zone of 'regrettably stupid'. Strangely enough, no one was rushing to stop me either.

"Put'em up."

*BOP*

"Put'em up."

*BOP*

"Put'em up."

*BOP*

"Put'em-"

Yang finally reacted. Just as my right began to flick out. She bared her teeth and weaved past my fist. I heard the mechanical clicking of her gauntlets in time react. I dipped to the side, deflecting her counter with my left forearm. He ballistic fist skidded off of my pip-boy, barrel redirected upward as fire and projectiles leapt from the barrel and into the ceiling overhead.

*KsShZzzK*

The radio on my pip-boy hummed to life as a put some space between me and Yang. With a few feet between us I got a good look at Yang. She was glaring at me furiously and looking no worse for wear.

"Alright" She snarled "You want to do this?" She slid into a stance, arms ready and feet planted "Bring. It."

My pip-boy's radio began to focus in, the sounds of amplified bass beginning to pound out through the speaker. A steady, one-two-three rhythm supplanted with a guitar. A familiar voice began to sing, as Drums came rolling in and the bass took a more complex quality.

"Come at me, and you'll see, I'm more than meets the eye~"

Beneath my mask, a vicious smile pulled itself across my face. The part of me that wanted to fight had won out. It hadn't had to try all that hard, given the stress. But another part of me knew I was behaving like a complete asshat.

The fighting part of me was keeping it quiet though.

"You think that, you'll break me, you're gonna find in time-"

The instant I picked up a stance Yang pounced. Her gauntlets at the ready, she dashed toward me and cocked her fist back. A wide swing, too wide to be effective. She likely knew that, but was either too mad to care or just getting warmed up.

I dipped out of the way again, knowing better than to take her punch point blank.

"You're standing too close to a flame that's burning, hotter than the sun in the middle of July-"

Yang pivoted with me, apparently prepared for me moving. Her wide swing missed, but she was already following with a smaller, more focused jab. I had hardly a split second to weave out of the way again, this time she missed by a hair.

"Sending out your armies but you still can't win, listen up silly boy, cuz' I'm gonna tell you whyyyy~"

By the time I noticed she was following with a kick, it had already planted itself into my side. It stung like I'd been hit with a baseball bat, knocking my off kilter. It set Yang up for another straight punch at my head. I wasn't dipping this time.

'Shit!'

"I Burn!"

Even as my head barely weaved out of the way, I felt the housings of Yang's gauntlet scrape my mask. The blast from the shotgun went off right next to my ear, feeling like someone stabbed my eardrum with an auditory knife. I didn't let it through me off balance, I couldn't afford to.

"Can't hold me now, you got nothing that can stop me!"

The glint of yellow caught my eye as Yang sank her fist firmly into my chest. I hardly had time to think before the expelling gases hit my chest with the forcing of a runaway truck.

"I Burn!"

I felt myself go airborne, blown off my feet and flying, the punch feeling like it broke something. I hit the ground some feet away, desperately trying to put air back into my lungs, what seemed like actual stars flickering across my vision for a moment.

"Swing all you want, like a fever I will take you down!"

I shambled to my feet, ignoring the pain in my chest. A brief glance showed Byz's work did the trick, the leather had somehow managed to tank the impact. But I wasn't going to bank on it saving me. I looked at Yang, she was standing ready with a look that said she wasn't holding back. But I knew from experience it was a lie. The first time we'd fought she'd thrown me into a wall without trying. She was still holding back. I didn't know whether to take that as an insult or a blessing. But I was aware of my immediate mistake: I'd let Yang take control of the rhythm of the fight. She could lead me around the ring at her leisure, so long as she kept me off kilter, and I'd have no way to counter it. She'd pummel me into the floor at her leisure if she was feeling vindictive. I was going to have to regain control.

Thankfully, experience was also giving me ideas on how to get my footing back. I just needed to avoid dying in the process.

Once I was completely on my feet, Yang dove back into me. But I didn't back off, if I did that she'd just keep put me back down. I met her charge with my own instead. If I was going to have a chance at coming out on top this time, I was going to need to play offensive.

With my sudden change in distance, Yang switched her punch mid-way, trading her straight for a hook. I waited until her fist was almost an inch from me before I countered. I raised my arm and used it to guide Yang's punch past me, going over my head as I dipped down. Before she could re-orient, I placed a low shot into her ribs. She didn't look like she felt it, but I wasn't looking to deal damage yet. I needed to control the fight before that could happen.

"Reign supreme? In your dreams, you'll never make me bow."

I leapt backwards as Yang moved in to counter, swinging her leg in a round house kick to gain ground. She followed the motion in a way I hadn't expected. She aimed her gauntlets behind her and fired them both simultaneously. The blast was somehow strong enough to launch her towards me, faster than she'd lunged before. Her right fist snapped back around front of her, flying into another straight. I pivoted my right arm to redirect it. The punch carried enough momentum I could hardly move it, forcing me to keep weaving with the blows. She was holding the rhythm tight, but there was still room for me to work.

"Kick my ass? I'm world class, and super saiyan now."

I flicked a jab at her chest, hoping to begin building momentum towards a reversal. But Yang just took the hit and kept plowing towards me, hardly noticing as I landed two more hits into her. She barreled forward and whipped her left arm back. I was expecting another straight, but she turned it into a haymaker. I narrowly blocked her forearm and kept her gauntlet from coming close to my head. The gunshot ringing bells in my other ear now.

She carried through the momentum, bringing her other arm whipping around to hit my other side. I couldn't transfer my guard to that arm, not in time to divert it. I weaved again, immediately slipping up a guard after that to prep for any follow up punches. I was right to, as Yang was rolling inward with the haymaker. Her punches weren't hitting, but she was forcing me onto the defensive, and even if they weren't connecting, just keeping my guard up hurt. If I was going to win, I couldn't guard for what I had planned, if I tried that she would probably break my arms.

"You're starting up a fight that you just can't finish, watch the little hearts while they scrape you off the floor."

As Yang moved into her next punch, I slipped into her. Moving past her guard I drove my knee upward, pulling as much strength as I could from them in such a short movement. My knee struck her right beneath the ribs, probably in the diaphragm. Most hits like that would leave someone short of breath and floundering. Yang just exhaled sharply before sucking a breath through her teeth.

I knocked her arms away from me, keeping her from building momentum back into an immediate counter. I began landing small jabs into her chest, still just trying to annoy her. I hoped I knew what I was doing. Because if I was wrong I was playing with fire. After land a three blows to her, Yang pulled her arms into a guard and weaved away, anticipating a fourth.

I took the chance to perform an alternate Ranger takedown, bobbing low and sweeping a scything kick at her legs

"Bringing out your rockets? Well shoot'em off baby, high as you may go I'm the one who's gonna soaaar!"

Yang began to tumble. Before she hit the ground she was already spinning. Her hand planted firm against the stone floor and she flipped back to her feet without losing a step. She moved to begin her assault anew, the rhythm still hers.

'Almost there, just a little further!'

"I burn!"

Yang launched herself at me with a flying kick. Firing her gauntlets in mid-air to add force. Even as I kept my guard, her heel pole-axed its way into my shoulder with a force that should've shattered her heel.

Because it certainly felt like she'd done the same to my shoulder.

"Can't hold me now, you got nothing that can stop me!"

She landed and bobbed downward as I tried to hit her with a cross to the face. She retaliated immediately with a counter cross that nearly got me in the stomach. Even as I weaved, I felt the fire leaping from the barrel of the gauntlet. My side burned sharply, it'd caught some of the muzzle flash.

"I burn!"

I used the momentum from my weave to swing a round house into Yang.

I had a second to register her blocking it. Then half that as her block turned into a grab as she clinched my leg. Before I could think, I'd lost my footing and was slammed into the floor. Bells rang as my head snapped into the floor.

"Swing all you want, like a fever I will take you down!"

I retaliated blindly. Not out of panic, if I lost my cool now I was done. But I needed to get up, or else I was. My free leg curled toward my and sprang out wildly in the direction of my other leg. I drove my heel into something squishy. I thought I heard Yang vocalizing something and the hold on my leg vanished and I pulled both of them toward me. Somersaulting backwards onto my feet. Bells were still ringing in my ears and my head was dipping without my consent. I'd hit the ground the wrong way. I could see Yang standing in front me, her mouth quirk upward in an angry snarl. It looked like she had a small red glow on her cheeks. I was hoping that meant I was starting to wind her.

I needed to move forward.

"It doesn't have to be this way, let's kiss and make up, then you'll learn-"

I felt myself weaving without intending to. With my head swimming like it was, keeping balance while running wasn't easy. Every step felt unpredicted and uncontrolled. A blessing, perhaps, because it made it harder for Yang to immediately land a hit. I felt the first one whiff past me. The second clipped my left arm. By the third, I had enough cognizance to control myself again.

I stopped shifting like a drunken trooper and slipped in close to Yang again. Her eyes widened as I suddenly closed the distance, and I saw her fist begin moving in my peripherals. I shunted it to the side with my arm and landed another low shot in her ribs. Her snarl turned to a grimace, perhaps starting to feel the ache in her lungs.

I began to pull back for a head-butt, but to my surprise, Yang beat me to it. Slamming the middle of her brow into the tip of my mask at the chin. Clever girl had learned from last time.

She pushed me back again and I obliged. Putting some space between us and holding a stance at a few feet.

"You can fight your life away, I get what I want, so don't bother and just watch me burn."

"Just give up Six." Yang puffed angrily "I don't want to accidently hurt you."

"Well that's a damn shame Yang." I said, breathing even and fine "'Cuz I'm not even warmed up yet, and you couldn't even if tried."

"OH YEAH!?"

With a roar, Yang launched at me with her gauntlets again. I sidestepped and let her fly past me. Her arms whipped forward, loosing another burst, and braking Yang's momentum. I could see a small fury beginning to burn in her eyes. I'd insulted her and she was letting it lead her. Good.

"Hotter than the sun, feel my fire, Pyromaniac my desire-"

Yang lunged back at me, throwing a straight that I easily dipped away from.

"Thought that you could see the truth, 'till I just burned down the booth-"

A hook flew in from the opposite side, whiffing past the side of head. It missed by a mile.

"Human torch can't fuc-"

I raised my left arm, deflecting one final cross. Her gauntlet skipped off my pip-boy and I heard the music die as the radio cut out.

I countered with a cross to Yang chin. She winced, and I slipped in one last time.

Then I slipped around her.

She recovered in time to begin turning towards me, I saw at least one of her eyes begin to widen.

Then I grabbed a fistful of her hair at the longest section, right down the middle. I kicked Yang in the small of her back and she was off balance, held upright only by the hair in my left hand.

I flicked my right wrist, and the straight razor materialized from the sleeve. Its handle danced across my knuckles, coming to rest in my palm as the thin blade was exposed. Before Yang could say anything, I drew the small blade across the hair clenched in my fist. In one swift, effortless motion, I severed about a four inch chunk of hair from the bottom of Yang's hair.

With my grip on her removed, Yang tumbled forward. She rolled to her feet and turned to face me. I held my hand openly, razor in one hand and a collection of cut hair in the other. Her eyes went wide as I dumped the chunked of dead skin cells to the floor, scattering the golden strands.

"Yeah, Yang" I answered "Not even if you tried, what're you going to do?"

For a second, the room went so quiet I swear I could of heard Ruby gasp in fear for my immediate safety. Then Yang's face contorted from shock to pure rage. With a roar, fire erupted from her unevenly cut mop of hair and her eyes flared crimson red.

'Figured as much, here we g-'

Yang was in front of me before I had time to move.

'SHIT!'

I pulled back in time to avoid taking an uppercut, dropping my razor. But I could feel the wind it generated, and the heat Yang was emanating. Like shoving my within an inch of a roaring campfire. Yang didn't wait to put the pressure on now. She took the Rhythm back full force with a left hook. Only narrowly failing to take my head with it.

I back pedaled as fast as I could, but Yang was faster now. It was just like the last time we sparred, or when we fought at the docks. I had no idea what this was, but it made Yang frighteningly faster and stronger. The fervor she chased me with bordered on bloodthirsty. It was like I was staring some sort of mythic monster in the eyes after kicking it.

Yang's arms began flicking jabs like a machine gun. Order and control replaced with ferocity and rage. I moved to the side, just barely keeping out of the cloud of death and fire Yang was unleashing.

The expended shells burst from the receivers of Yang's gauntlets, and her punches lost their perforating property. But most certainly not their bite.

Yang sprang at my, left leg rising up in a kick as she pulled another belt of shotgun shells from a small pouch on her hip. I dodged the first, but she followed through with her other leg turning it into a butterfly kick. The second hit collided with my head like a sledge hammer. I was only able to register her slapping a belt of shells into her other gauntlet before going flying for a second time.

I tumbled as I hit the ground, swaggering to my feet in time to see Yang ready to plant her fist into my head. My upper body dipped backward, watching the gauntlet fly past my face, seeing the mechanisms and muzzle flare before I dipped away again. I saw Yang already following me, she wasn't going to give me an inch if she could avoid it. She was acting like she wanted to kill me.

'breathe, focus, keep ahead of her-'

Yang twisted and her fist came up in an overhead punch.

'DUCK!'

I dipped and Yang sailed pest me, planting her fist into the floor. She didn't even look back when she reared her legs up and planted the both of them into the small of my back. With a force not unlike a grenade, Yang launched me forward and away from her. I tumbled back to the ground, rolled roughly and prepared to face her.

She was already upon me by the time I looked, kneeling on the ground as she was flying at me. Fist cocked, teeth bared, and eyes glowing red like an inferno.

She was a foot away when instinct finally kicked in and VATs snapped open. The world ground to a halt, Yang floating in mid-air gracefully. I couldn't move, nothing could while VATs was running. Well, technically, everything was still moving, just so slow it seemed like time had stopped. But for practical sake, it may as well have been stopped.

Which let me assess where to move next.

I stopped VATs and rolled to the left, letting Yang crash down where I'd been knelt a moment prior. I sprang to my feet in time to meet Yang's next punch. She flew to her feet with a jab. I slipped in and gave her a counter cross. She didn't even pretend to feel it, and came in with a hook.

I snapped open VATs again, judged, and dodged at a hair's breadth. Countering with the opening.

She roared and began throwing straights with no sense to them. Intent to just hit me whatever way she could regardless of effect.

With each one I snapped VATs open for only a fraction of a second. Stuttering her movements enough to think. Enough to dodge, wait for an opening, and strike. I didn't get many, but I was getting what I wanted.

I was playing a dangerous game though. Using VATs like this came with a serious consequence. I couldn't rely on it like this for long. But maybe, just maybe long enough.

Yang's frustration reached a fever pitch. She stopped throwing jabs and closed the distance. Bringing her left arm low for an uppercut. I weaved with VATs and head-butted her in the nose. Her head moved back only slightly, but I knew she felt it.

A hook came flying to my head, I avoided it unaided. She spun into a kick and I dipped with it. Using the momentum of my rise to send my fist into her diaphragm again. Another burst of air leapt from her mouth, followed by a grab at my shoulders.

She tried to grapple me, maybe pull me into a clinch and crush me into submission. I drove my knee into her stomach to counter it, then pushed her arms off of me. I punched her in the face again, and she answered with another blind haymaker. Her grip on the Rhythm had slipped. She'd let her anger get the better of her and now she was trying to get ahold of the lead again.

She flew into another butterfly kick, but VATs let me stutter right past her. She touched down and I brought an overhead punch of my own down on top of her. My fist connected with the side of her head. Even as she tried to roll with it, I pressed forward. I sent a low kick into her side as she rolled. Her momentum ate most of the effect it would've had, but not all of it. Before she could get up, I sprang forward with an axe kick. My heel caught her square on the shoulder

With a roar and burst of heat, she pushed back to her feet. Sending another jab full force at me. Another stutter and I was past it. I planted another cross dead center of her chest and followed it with a proper Ranger takedown. The impact didn't send Yang back as far as it should've. But I saw her stagger. A brief headshake later and I could see her eyes again.

The fire in her eyes was burning, perhaps even hotter than when it first lit. But something was missing, like the intensity of it was waning thin.

She leapt at me again. But her movements were slower than the torrent she'd come at me with before. My plan had taken a while, but it was beginning to work. The longer we went, the more noticeable it became.

In what seemed a last ditch to end the spar now, Yang threw herself at me. Trying to hit me with a flurry of blows. The first dozen I had to stutter through, and she nearly got me too. If she'd kept that pace, She might've just blown me out of the ring. But she didn't. After the first, the second dozen dropped in speed with each swing. By the fourth of the second set, I could stop stuttering. By the end of the set, Yang's hair lost its burning glow and her eyes cooled back to their lilac hue. Her breathing was ragged and if the sweat on her brow was an indicator, she was finally out of steam. Fighting the way she had wasn't sustainable, regardless of how you do it.

"W-w… what?" She puffed out, breathing ragged.

I was shuffling on my feet, still full of energy and ready to start my counter attack. "Let me give you a quick tactics lesson Yang. Twice as bright-"

I closed the space between us and dipped low. Before she could react, I threw all of my momentum into a cross straight at her stomach. It connected, and if the look on her face was an indicator, she felt all of it.

"Half as long!"

I rose up, bring with me an upper cut to Yang's chin. Her head snapped back sharply and she stumbled, backpedaling to make room and build steam again. I wasn't going to let her. She had her turn and now it was mine.

My arm flicked out and around Yang, my hand cupping the back of her head.

A small explosion went off at the front of my skull as I drove her head into mine at full force. Despite that, she stayed on her feet. Dazed, but still on her feet. Give her credit, she could take a beating.

My hands snaked to her right arm. They gripped hold of my target and my fingers slid over the edge. Grasping tightly. I just needed to hold whatever was holding it in place wasn't more securely attached to Yang.

No sense in hurting the poor girl.

I raised my leg and spun, giving Yang a mule kick to the chest. Wrenching my target free from her arm in the process, I slid it over my right arm and turned to face Yang.

She stumbled to a stop and collected herself. She blinked and looked down to her right hand, likely noticing the missing weight. Her eyes frantically shot up to me.

With one half of Ember Celica mounted to my arm, I did my best to mimic Yang. With a motion of my right arm, The bracelet re-expanded into a full-sized gauntlet. It was heavy, but I'd expected it to be heavier. I was getting cocky now, I knew I was, but I couldn't help it for some reason. Like some great ball of pent up aggression suddenly decided now was the time to cut loose.

"Now." I said "Why don't we see how much you like hitting the wall, hmm?"

Normally when I say a line like that, people start freaking out.

Yang just grit her teeth and got into a stance.

'HELL YES.'

I charged Yang. The instant I was upon her, she tried to counter with a left hook. But it was slow, I had no trouble weaving past it and putting a right cross in her face.

I've avoided using firearms in sparring up until this point because I've been genuinely concerned about hurting someone. You punch someone, you kick them, you spit in their eye, they'll get back up most times and live healthy. You put a bullet in someone, you cut them or stab them wrong, and they don't live long. I wanted to avoid that. I had no reason to want to hurt any of them, and I still don't. In that instance though, I was caught in the flow of the fight I'd started. I was finally coming out ahead, and I wasn't afraid to ride the wave.

And not seeing Yang's head pop like an overripe piece of fruit, was the final nail on the restraint I had.

Yang stumbled again, but stood tall, tanking the blow as best she could. But she wasn't recovering fast enough to stop me. I flicker jabbed her with my off-hand, keeping her off-balance.

Ember Celica must've lacked the recoil dampening of the Ballistic fists I'd used in the past. I'd felt the entire shockwave of kinetic force slam backwards into my forearm. It'd hurt like the dickens. I was going to need to ask Yang If I could take Ember Celica apart at some point. For now, I was going to need to fight smarter, if I threw a punch wrong I'd risk blowing off a portion of my hand. Or breaking my arm, whichever came first.

I flew another flicker jab and Yang tried to counter. But it did her little good. I weaved through her attack and kept at her, pivoting and striking every move I was free to. She'd completely run out of ground, and I had all the steam to keep fighting.

"RRAH!" Yang shouted, wildly lashing her left arm out.

I dipped down one last time, low and into her guard.

She glared down at me, ferocious and unyielding.

I rose with an upper cut that sent her flying.

She touched down less than a dozen feet away.

I lunged, throwing all the strength I could into my legs. I felt airborne for a moment, as I flew towards her. She was prone on the ground. This was over.

I slammed down on top of her, fist cocked back and ready to strike.

"Enough!" Goodwitch finally cut in

I stayed over top of Yang, fist cocked and ready. Yang glared back up at me, furious.

"That's enough Mister Six." Goodwitch said authoritatively "Stand. Down."

I took a second to breathe. I looked down at Yang and she still glared at me.

Then I got up, sliding Ember Celica back off my arm. Once it was free, it collapsed back into its bracelet configuration. I carefully set it back with Yang.

Then I turned to look at the class.

"Listen well." I said, serious as the grave "For as far back as I can remember I've had to fight tooth and nail to stay alive. I've been stabbed, shot, beaten half to death, and had more bones broken in a day than any of you coddled pansies will experience in a life time." I felt my fists tighten and something welling in my chest as I spoke. "I'm supposed to accept that some absolute bullshit based around the concept of the human soul is supposed to: 'bear my burdens and shield me'? 'Tend my wounds and slows my bleeding'? 'Make me stronger, keep air in my lungs, and give me the hope to keep fighting'? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke? Because guess what, I'M NOT FUCKING LAUGHING."

"Mister Six!"

"I've made it this far, because when the chips are down, I stop screwing around. When the situation calls for it, I stop pulling my punches. I didn't ask for your pity, I don't _need_ it, and I sure as hell don't want it."

I turned back to look at Yang. She was still glaring up at me.

"Because I've survived a lot worse."

I extended my hand down to her. She continued glaring at me, but I could see a hint of confusion in her.

"Now can we _please_ move on already?"

Yang glared at me angrily. Then rolled her eyes and accepted my hand up.

I promptly fell forward, landing next to Yang and surprising her.

Pain coursing through my every nerve ending.

…

Fun fact about VATs: it works with the central nervous system. A processor inside the pip-boy, when activated, increases the relay speed between my nerves. Effectively letting the user process information faster than average. Which is why time always feels like its stopping. It's not, I'm just thinking it is because its moving too damn slow. But that comes with a caveat. The human mind and nervous system can only handle so much before it starts to be overtaxed. Which is the reason for the Autonomic Protection system. To prevent VATs from theoretically causing long term damage due to over use.

Unfortunately, that also wasn't fool proof. If VATs is used in a way it was never intended, the AP system was ignored altogether and the user was left without a safety net.

Stuttering VATs so I could keep up with Yang and avoid getting hit? Definitely not an intended use.

I'd had it happen once or twice before, where I'd overloaded my nervous system by ignoring the AP. It nearly got me killed once or twice. Causing me to freeze up the next time I used VATs. Mercifully, I knew the trouble that came from doing it, so I generally knew to avoid it.

Because having it happen felt like someone was driving screws into every major nerve cluster on your body. It was a pain that was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The only mercy was that the pain wasn't permanent. But it took proper rest to have fully disappear.

After I collapsed, Goodwitch had someone drag me to the Nurse's station. Again. I wasn't sure if they had a bed for me by this point, but they let me rest all the same.

" Sciatic nerve seems to be alright." Nurse Ochre said "Though the peroneals seem a bit strained still."

The physicians on the other hand did not.

Both the nurse and the doctor kept an eye on me as I rested. Not much I could do to stop them at first, it hurt too much to move.

"Fascinating" Doc Azure said "I've never seen something quite like this come from standard sparring before."

"Mmm, we went a little overboard."

"I'd say, you'd normally see something like this from someone with much more severe injuries."

Tired of lying in bed, I tentatively sat up. It hurt, but I was slowly regaining mobility. "I've had it happen a few time in the past." I grunted "I know it isn't a good thing, so I try to avoid having it happen very often."

"Well" Doc sighed "At least you're trying. I'd recommend you take it easy for the next day or two. Pushing it will only exacerbate the damage."

"I know" I sighed "Wish I didn't but I do, thanks."

I stood stiffly and hobbled to the nearest wall for support. Everything was aching again, beautiful.

"By the way-" Doc continued "I'm glad you took my advice and finally had your aura unlocked."

"Yea, lot of good it did me." I grunted sarcastically

"Well of course not, with the way you've been getting knocked around, it's a miracle you have one at all."

'… huh?'

I looked over my shoulder at the doctor. "What do you mean?"

The doctor blinked. "Well, Aura is a physical manifestation of your soul-"

'Here we go again.'

"-and as such is related to your physical condition. The strong you are when it's activated, the stronger it is as a result."

"I was in tip top shape when it happened though."

"Maybe so, but another factor that plays into it is what you've been through up to that point."

The doctor motioned to a skeleton he had hanging in a corner of the office. I didn't want to know the poor schmuck that died just to get hung up in the office.

"Think of Aura as you would any cell in your body, or even as a part of your body. Like a bone. It starts out healthy and strong but, as it's subjected to stress, it can grow stronger or weaker. Every time you've been hurt, suffered injury, or taken a step closer to the grave, your aura will grow weaker. From what we've determined, it's cumulative as well. So even if you were fit as could be when it was unlocked, everything done up until then would still have an impact."

"… why the hell do you know so much about this?"

The doctor shrugged guiltily "I majored in Aura theory and physical therapy."

"Lovely."

"Now that it's unlocked though, you can do much with it-"

"Doc-" I interrupted "While I'm sure this is right up your alley, My literal everything hurts and I want to go lay down. I stop in later, aight?"

The doctor coughed into his hand "Hrm, yes, I suppose that would be best. Rest well, you'll need it yet."

With that I shut the door and shambled down the hallway. Hurting the whole way back. I was alone for once. Must've pissed someone off and they decided to leave me alone. Fine with me, I was liable to be rude anyway.

But what the doc said stuck with me. He talked about aura in a way I'd understood. He dropped all the flowery bullshit and actually explained it to me. Like it was some large organ, muscle, or other part of the body. Given all the crap I've gone through, it would make sense then, why it was so weak. But even then it made no sense to me. He still referred to aura as being your soul. That had to be bullshit. There was no way I could quantify that. What list would you put, 'soul based superpower' under. Probably the same one… as… Solar Powered.

I stopped shambling as a chill arched its way through me.

I looked fearfully down at my pip-boy. The doctor's words rang in my head.

' I'm glad you took my advice and finally had your aura unlocked'

'finally had your aura unlocked'

'Aura Unlocked'

My fingers fumbled with the dials and nobs. I struggled to pull the status screen open

'Well, Aura is a physical manifestation of your soul'

I opened it and flipped through the menu options. My target was the one labeled 'perks'. I tore down the list of names and descriptions, Vault Boy icons depicting the mascot performing various feats whizzed by. I knew if there was something out of place, I'd see it.

'Physical Manifestation-'

I found it.

'OF YOUR SOUL'

Depicted on the list was Vault boy. He had a glow encasing his body, with a heart beating in the center of his chest.

 _AURA OF LIFE_

 _While trapped in the world of Remnant, you did some soul searching and discovered, hey, you have one! While enabled, your aura will protect you from bullets, fists, blades, blunts, explosions, and the elements. Though you don't seem to have a lot of it._

There was a small slot at the top of the pip-boy. Right next to my health, it read 'Aura%: 0.0 '

After reading the description, I felt my feet give out underneath me and I hit the floor. I barely registered the blinding pain that shot through me as I leaned against the wall for support.

'Holy shit, I have a _soul_.'

* * *

 **Well... I suppose this chapter has been a long time coming.**

 **So, story time: long ago and far away I never wanted to give Six an aura. I started with the decision in mind that Six shouldn't have one. One reason being, it would make him incredibly imbalanced in the story. He's an experienced survivor, fighter, _and_ he gets superpowers? Hell. No. **

**When I started, I wanted Six to be able to show what someone is capable of even without bullshit powers buffing him (Yes, I know the cybernetics and perks are technically bullshit, but shut up.). Giving him something like aura on top of that took all of the fun out of it.**

 **But once I started writing this and got a few chapters in, I realized I needed to do a little research to try and keep on top of everything. And wouldn't you know it, aura was one of the things I needed to research. Some searching later and I was shown that, in canon, there was only one clear rule on the things that could and couldn't have aura. They needed a soul. I initially just brushed it off thinking 'Eh, no big deal. They shouldn't be an issue anyway.'**

 **Then I remembered that psykers were a thing in Fallout.**

 **Then I remembered the master was a thing in Fallout.**

 **Then I remembered that Cthulhu was basically a thing in Fallout.**

 **And just like that, souls seemed plausible again.**

 **In the end I couldn't give myself a good enough reason not to say he wasn't allowed one. By the very loose rules of aura and the nature of the fallout universe, he was practically guaranteed one.**

 **So I had to try and be creative. Aura varies from person to person? Fine. He has one. But it ain't worth much.**

 **I know to a lot of you this isn't going to be a good enough reason. And on that I empathize with you. I don't _want_ to turn Six into a Mary/Gary/Harry sue. I want him to struggle and actually _be a character_. But I can't convince myself that there's enough of a reason not to have an aura. So this is where we are in the end. If this is going to be the jumping off point for a lot of you, thank you for reading up until this point. It's been a pleasure. For those of you that stick around, thank you for reading. **

**You all rock either way.**

 **"The Baz": Some part of me really hopes you're right.**

 **"Surasa the Red": I guess we're going to have to find out, eh?**

 **"CRAZYD1AMOND": This one's an extra twelve pages, that should balance things out.**

 **"Scoolio": Here you go**

 **"Han Swolo": Yep. Sneakers were a thing. Research fail on my part, but I doubt any would've survived in post apocalyptia anyway**

 **"*ZapCracklePop*": You want some pepper with that?**

 **"RoboMan": Oh, most definitely.**

 **"Malgrath": I'd recommend catching up when you have the time, but considering any of the later events are still a ways off for this story you're free to save yourself the pain if you want.**

 **"Guest": Excellent question. The answer? VEEERRRRRYYY SLOWLY.**

 **s'ppose that'll do it. This fanfic was brought to you by Hildern's Bio-labs and greenhouses. Endanger the public, one poisonous plant at a time.**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	22. Intermission 4: Cut in the Hair

Trudging back to the 38 was less exhausting than I'd thought it was. The sun's weird ability to make me and Boone feel better held the entire trip, and made everything a little more bearable. Once we were past the 38's walls though, we both felt ready to collapse. Guess the sun really was the key to it.

I slept for about six hours, just long enough to get my bearings in a place that wasn't trying to kill me yet. Then I grabbed some food and got back to work. I let Boone stay behind, he'd willingly taken watch more than his fair share while we were stuck in the Vault. He deserved the opportunity to rest. I wouldn't have minded traveling alone for a bit, especially if I was going to keep throwing myself into the fire for the NCR. A little alone time was in order.

But as I was on my way out, Cass caught me and decided to 'make her escape from the gilded cage'. I didn't particularly mind the company, I'd just been planning to spend some time alone.

We took the monorail to McCarran and met up with Hsu. I gave him the run down on what happened. He wasn't thrilled about the news, but was more grateful I'd brought it to him than Hildern. Unleashing something like what'd happened in the Vault out into Vegas was something he could finally use as ammunition to remove him from the base. Hsu made sure I was reimbursed for my time, effort, and materials, before having me go chat with Lieutenant Boyd about her screwy manifests.

It should've been easy enough to handle, fetch some manifests from the quartermaster and bring them to her. If there was something screwy going on, it'd have been easy enough to spot.

Except it wasn't, of course. There was something screwy going on. But whatever the quartermaster, A Lieutenant Contreras, was doing behind the scenes was being kept just hush hush enough that we couldn't prove it. So Cass and I took it upon ourselves to play the role of the mole. I managed to convince Contreras we were just a pair of mercs looking for some less-than-legal pay. It took a little careful wording, but we got what we needed and he sent us on a short trip to the Gun Runners.

Which brought us to now.

"That guys a fucking snake if I've ever seen one." Cass said, arms stretching above her. "How the hell has no one gotten him for anything yet?"

We were on the path towards the Gun Runners, about half way, just under the overpass.

"Because he's careful." I said, agreeing "If he wasn't, Boyd wouldn't have needed someone to do the digging, she'd have strung him up already."

"She shouldn't even need us to do that, you saw the guy. He's shadier than half of New Reno."

"You know damn well looks mean little Cass. As longs as he's cooking the books right, he could look like a molerat and still keep the job."

"Doesn't mean it's not Brahmin shit."

"… No arguments there."

We walked in silence until we were past the overpass and I could see the gun runners in the distance. The NCR's sharecropper farms were off to our right and looking mighty brown. The farmers were tilling the dusty soil by hand, dust kicking up with each swing of the hoe. Even as water was released from a nearby sprinkler system, it looked like it was only making things worse. Poor bastards were working themselves to death for crops that weren't even edible. It helped me understand why Hildern was interested in Vault 22 at least. Cass joined me in my staring as we walked.

"… What you said about the Vault." Cass started "was it really as green as you said?"

"Green as the mountains around the ski lodge, and then some." I said "But I know for a fact thinking it could be used to help is a mistake now."

"Doesn't mean it wasn't worth a shot though." Cass said, almost sounding sad "I did a couple of the supply runs for them a while back. Even back then they had trouble making the quotas and having enough to feed themselves."

"Damn, now your just making me feel bad."

Cass gave a soft, sad chuckle "It's not easy work even without their issues. I remember my Mom coming home some nights so covered in mud and sweat she looked like she was made of the stuff."

"Your Ma was a sharecropper?" I asked "Thought you said she was a tribal?"

"She was both, they're not mutually exclusive." Cass answered "After my old man took off, she had to provide for us until I was old enough to go getting myself into trouble."

"I remember you saying that. 'Said she worked herself half to death, right?"

Cass didn't answer, she just looked down sadly at the ground. A silence filled the air for the longest time.

"… Cass?"

"-shit, sorry." She shook her head slightly "Got miles away for a second there."

"It's fine, just making sure you're still with me."

Cass just gave a small scoff and a sad smirk. "… How're you feeling?"

"Better now, and glad to be out of the Vault."

"Good… What about that other… _thing_ you were talking about."

She motioned up to the sun.

"… It's still here." I said "I don't know what happened down there, if it was all the spores we were breathing in, or if it was eating all the plants, but it's still here."

"Are you ok?"

"Ok? I feel amazing." I stretched as we walked "I feel full of energy and most of my aches have faded. I have no better way to describe it."

"So, what, you're Solar Powered now?"

"… Actually, yeah, I guess that's a way to describe it."

Cass just rolled her eyes.

"At least we got something for our troubles. I'm just hoping it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass somehow."

"We?"

"Mm, Pretty sure it's we anyway. Boone's been pretty mum about it since we left the Vault. If I got it, I don't see why he wouldn't, but unless he says something I've got no idea."

Cass nodded, facing ahead of us. "… Did you really think his name was Randy?"

"…"

In response I tried walking a little faster, trying to put that conversation behind us.

"… You did, didn't you." Cass said, a smile clear in her voice.

"… maybe."

Cass laughed.

"S-shut up."

"Ha ha- no-o-o way- *heh*."

She picked up her pace and was back beside me easily. She had a wide, toothy smile on her face.

"Aw, c'mon, you've gotta admit it's pretty funny."

"Well I'm not laughing."

"… Actually-" She said, coming around front of and stopping me "What's my name?"

I stared at Cass blankly for a moment. She'd actually told me her name once before. But we were both completely blitzed at the time and in the midst of some other job. I was a bit hazy on her name as a result, and revealing you've forgotten a woman's name is… bad.

"… Jolene."

"… PFT- HA HA HA HA-"

It's even worse when you get it wrong.

Cass let out a loud, almost cackling laugh. I'd honestly expected her to get mad at me. Somehow, having her laugh at me felt worse.

I brushed past her, just wanting to get on with the job.

"Oh *heh* come on." She said, stifling chuckles "You have to admit, it's pretty bad-"

"Yeah, whatever." I answered brusquely, cutting her off

Cass stopped laughing and looked at me. She seemed a little annoyed, but it seemed to fade under a veneer of inexplicable warmth.

"Hey, it's no big deal Six. It's not like we all go around using our given names."

"Actually, You and Boone are the only ones who don't."

"…huh." Cass said after a minute "Guess we kinda are."

"Speaking from personal experience, having a name's kind of a big thing." I said "You guys all got one and I want to know them as much as I do you guys. It's more than I've got for myself at least, So doing you the courtesy feels right, y'know?"

"You could've asked if you were curious." Cass said

"… I was worried I'd look like a dumbass since you'd already given it to me."

"And you don't now?" Cass asked, smirking

I just rolled my eyes in response. A gesture she probably saw through the visor of my motorcycle helmet.

"… I know they called you 'whiskey rose' back west." I said "Am I close?"

Now it was Cass's turn to roll her eyes. "Pretty much, it's-"

…

The soft chiming of my pip-boy pulled me back to reality. My eyes slowly opened and showed the leaves of the tree overhead, the noon sun piercing through the gaps. I was in my own little slice of the grounds, leaning against the sturdy oak that stood off to one side. I assumed it was an oak anyway, I hadn't made much effort to find out. For all I knew it was any other species of sap spewing chlorophyll life form. Like a willow, or a maple. Maybe even a Bob, Raul had told me about them once, horrible tendency to grow into people. Supposedly he met a poor bastard like that once.

The summer heat had warmed the area around me, the smells of warm earth and blooming flowers filled the air. Despite the filters on my mask dulling them, they still came through strong and warm. There was a humidity to the area that made everything feel sticky, something familiar to one or two areas of the Mojave I'd visited. You wouldn't associate a desert with humidity, but it's a big player in how unbearable heat is.

I stayed leaning against the tree, not finding much of a good reason to get up that particular second. I'd been like that for the past two days. Not being able to find much of a good reason to do anything with particular urgency. I mean, I wanted to, but more I just couldn't find the energy to do it. Not to say I hadn't gotten anything done, mind you, but I'd practically slowed to a crawl. My attempts at stimpack recreation had gone through only two attempts. Instead of the possible five or more I could've gotten done with all the free time I had now. I'd had no ideas on how to track down Dala. My other experiments had held no appeal. Hell, I didn't even have it in me to read the _comics I'd bought_. Which was a shame, since Mr. Hale was proving to be quite the read.

But really, what are you supposed to do when you find out you have a soul?

Even worse, when you have a way of quantifying it?

All it did was start raising questions for me, like: 'How do I have a soul?'

'What _is_ a soul?'

'Does everything have a soul?'

'Do my friends have them?'

'Did my enemies?'

'Does Cass?'

'If souls exist, is there an afterlife?'

'… is there a god? Worse still, a devil?'

I knew I was never going to get answers to any of those questions, so I'd spent more than a small amount of my time trying to put them back where they'd come from. Even if I got answers to them, I sure as hell didn't _want_ them. Ignorance is bliss and right then I wanted _that_ back.

But I knew that wasn't going to happen either.

So instead, I'd wasted two days trying to come to terms with what was going on, isolating myself in the process. Keeping busy would have been an acceptable distraction, but I couldn't focus long enough on anything to actually put it out of my head. So instead, I'd successfully transformed into a lazy teenage slug. Yay me.

At the least the summer warmth was good weather for being lazy in. Not cool by any stretch, but nowhere near the swelter of the Mojave.

After a few more minutes of sitting there. I finally found it in me to get up and go back to tending the gardens. If I didn't, the burgeoning Mutfruit would be strangled by the Broc flower vines that were slowly trying to grow on everything. Despite how useful the flowers were, I would rather they didn't try and choke out my fruit trees. Or any of the other plants I had in my little alcove of the grounds. The pruning shears I'd borrowed from the Botany club made that easy though. It was slow work, but easy enough to focus on. Plus I could harvest the blooms from the vines I cut early and keep my supply of them up.

I was halfway through the round alcove when I had my solitude impeded upon.

"… Can't you at least talk to him?" Someone asked, approaching my alcove

"Why should I?" A second voice answered "He started it."

I peeked my head from behind the shrubbery I was tending and watched as Yang and Ruby walked down the path leading to my little Alcove. It was a surprise to see them, but not very alarming. Weiss had found this place easy enough just by wandering around, no reason they couldn't stumble onto it as well. I stayed kneeling, just barely concealed by the shrubbery I was cutting and the edge of the center fountain.

Of course, if I was the 'he' they were referring to, there was just a _slight_ foreboding.

"We're stuck on campus anyway Yang" Ruby said "We can't spend the next week ignoring him either."

"I'm not ignoring him." Yang said pointedly.

"… or avoiding him."

"… ugh, whatever. Can we just get what we came back here for and go?"

"Grab _what_ and go?" I asked

Yang and Ruby jumped out of their skin and looked around wildly. Clearly not expecting that they weren't alone in the garden.

"… over here." I said again

They picked up on the sound of my voice and looked towards the edge of the fountain. As soon as their eyes settled on me I poked a hand out of the shrubs, giving a little wave.

Yang responded with a scowl that would've scared the pants off of a weaker man, like Benny.

"Tsk, I'm going back to the room." Yang said, turning with a huff.

"Yang, wait." Ruby said with a sad, feeble tone.

Yang wasn't having it though. She just kept walking until she was out of sight. When she was, Ruby turned back to me, looking frustrated and angry. Well, about as frustrated and angry as Ruby _could_ be anyway. The girl had all the natural malice of a sheep-dog pup.

"… What?" I asked

"You're a jerk, you know that?"

"So you've told me." I said, rising up from the bushes and walking towards her. "What's up with Yang?"

Ruby focused on me in a steady glare. "You're seriously a jerk."

"… excuse me?"

"You're a big, stupid jerk and I hate you!"

I felt myself recoil a little bit with the words thrown at me. I had no idea where this sudden outburst was coming from, but it hurt in a surprising way. Ruby wasn't the type of person who'd angrily shout at someone. I'd almost forgotten she could _get_ angry.

After saying that, Ruby turned and began to walk away as well.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn't as good at it as Yang, and I was a bit more determined to find out why. I set the sheers down and wasted no time in catching up to her.

"Hold up, Ruby, what did I do?"

She ignored me at first, face still set like an angry pup as she walked. But the more she walked, the more the anger melted. Instead, she was just looking upset.

"… look, Ruby, I get your mad at me for some reason, but I don't understand why."

"Then maybe you should go talk to Yang." Ruby pouted

"I would, but she doesn't seem to be in a talking mood either."

Ruby stopped walking and shot me a pouting glare. Almost silently telling me to shut up.

"… I want to ask you something, Six." Ruby said, turning to square off to me. Granted, I towered over the tiny girl, but it was still a valiant attempt.

"… Sure, shoot."

"… We're friends, right?"

I couldn't help but tilt my head a little in confusion at the question. I felt it was something that would go without saying at this point.

"I suppose we are Ruby, why?"

"Because friends tell each other when something is wrong." Ruby answered "They trust each other, and don't keep secrets from each other… right?"

Again, I felt like Ruby was trying to stab me with words. I almost made the mistake of looking at her eyes. Which from just a cursory glance looked as though they had the puppy-like power to sway weaker beings to their whims.

It wasn't like I had secrets to keep, right?

"… Of course." I answered, avoiding Ruby's eyes. "You've got to be able to trust the people around you, right?"

Ruby continued to stare at me with the puppy eyes for a moment. Then she looked pensively to the ground, sighing.

"Yang's upset because you cut her hair."

"… Because I _what_?"

"Because you cut her hair." Ruby reiterated, almost sounding frustrated

"… That's… that's stu-"

"Six." Ruby cut me off "Yang takes pride in her hair. Kind of like how you keep that mask on your face."

"… oh… Well how was I supposed to know that? She got mad when I touched it during sparring. But she'd never made it clear it was important to her."

"Well it is." Ruby said

"… I see. Well, I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize to me." Ruby said, pointing her finger indignantly "Go apologize to Yang."

"… Are you sure that's a good-"

" _Six_."

"Ok, ok, I'll go." I raised my hands defensively "I just can't promise the dorms won't be burned to the ground."

I walked past Ruby and towards the dorms. As soon as Ruby was out of sight though, I slowed my pace a bit. Charging right after Yang wasn't the brightest idea. If I wanted to actually stand a chance at apologizing to her, letting her have a second to cool down before I started trying was a smart idea.

It also gave me an opportunity to think about something besides my soul issues.

The first: _how_ was I going to patch things up with Yang?

The second: What was going on that I wasn't aware of?

The second seemed the more appealing, even given I was walking towards Yang. Both she and Ruby had come to my garden looking for something, and if it weren't for Yang's current displeasure with me they might've found it. The way Ruby had talked to me made it almost seem like she was upset about something else too. Talking about secrets had been a bit of a giveaway. But there was no sense in being paranoid quite yet. She'd also had plenty of reason to be upset with me regardless, and she could just as easily have been trying to bring herself to tell me what was wrong. Rather than, of course, brushing me off like Yang did.

I was going to have to keep that in mind too. Clearly something was bothering her and I didn't want to be the cause of it.

As for Yang, I wasn't quite sure how guilty I should feel about this. As far as I could tell, it was just hair. Nothing special about it. Maybe I'd gotten out of line during the spar, but I had no reason to feel bad about it. Aside from behaving like an irate jackass, anyway. Odds were, this conversation with Yang was going to be painful regardless of how it went down.

It only took me a few minutes to reach the dorms. Then an extra five minutes to let Yang settle

Then an extra five minutes to steel myself.

Then another to convince myself confronting an angry Yang wasn't that dangerous.

And one final set to actually knock on the door.

There was no response for a moment, so I waited patiently. After a little bit of that, I knocked again and was greeted with the sounds of shuffling on the other side of the door. A few seconds later, the knob rattled and the door pulled inward.

Yang opened the door about a third of the way, enough to peer out. Her hair down behind her, The previously flowing mane now sporting a uneven hack mark in the middle. Leaving it a few inches short than the strands next to it.

Yang glared at me from beyond the door.

"Hey." I said, trying to be as friendly as possible.

The door began to quickly shut and, on some stupid instinct, I jammed my foot between it and the frame. A sharp pain shot through my foot as the door came to a sudden stop.

"Go _away_ , Six." Yang growled, still trying to push the door shut, even with my foot in the way.

"Look, Yang, I just want to talk." I ground out.

"Well I don't."

Yang continued by slamming the door on my foot again.

'ow.'

"Look, I know I acted like an ass during sparring, but could we just talk?"

She responded with another door slam.

'Ow'

"There's nothing to talk about." Yang said

"No Yang, I'm pretty sure-"

She slammed the door again.

'OW.'

"Yang." I growled, just about fed up with getting my foot crushed. "I'm just-"

The door crushed my foot a final time.

"That's it!"

The door went lax and I slammed into it full force. It burst inward without issue. Yang had sprung back towards the center of the room. Leaving several feet between her and me. A cold, dispassionate look on her face.

I stalked towards her, angry and frustrated. I just wanted to apologize and she'd just been acting like a child.

I loomed over her by an extra foot, glaring down at her through my mask. She just stared back up at me, doing her best to give back no emotion.

"… How does it feel having someone push your buttons?" She asked simply, calmly.

"… What?" I growled

"You wanted to apologize. How does it feel when someone just pushes your button instead?"

I processed what she was saying slowly. It wasn't until the smirk stretched across her face that I realized what she'd done.

"… Well played." I grunted, dropping the hostility. I backed up a little and looked away from her. Part out of embarrassment, and part out of shame.

"I'm still mad at you." Yang said seriously, losing the smirk "But if you want to apologize, I'm listening."

"I want to apologize." I answered "But I don't even know what I did wrong _specifically_. Aside from being a belligerent ass-hat I mean."

"…" Yang sighed and shook her head "You suck at apologies."

"Only when I don't know where to start." I answered "You deserve one. But I want to make sure I'm giving it to the right thing."

Yang looked at me for a second. Then gave a mirthless chuckle and pulled her hair over her shoulder and around front of her. She brushed her hair down the length of it, lingering at the missing chunk I'd removed. "You could start with this."

"… Is your hair really that important to you?"

"Of course not." Yang said, rolling her eyes "I just Shampoo, condition, and brush it for two hours because it's fun."

"Sarcasm is unbecoming of you."

"Hmph." Yang smirked dryly

"Well, I'm sorry. If I'd known your hair was so important to you, I wouldn't have factored it into a simple sparring match plan."

'Would've saved it for something bigger'

"You planned on cutting it?"

"Obviously, I needed to make you do something stupid. The fastest way to do it was to make you angry."

Yang's smirk faded again, and she gave me a deadpan glare.

"Yea, yea, I know."

Yang stopped glaring at me and looked at her hair sadly. It was pretty long, honestly. Prior to my little decision to lop it off, it had reached down to her butt at the longest point. Now it jaggedly danced around the small of her back. Completely uneven and messy. If she took the amount of time she claimed she did, then it was no surprise it reached as far as it did. Hair like that was no small accomplishment all things considered.

"… You know what? Give me a minute." I said, turning back to the door

"Where're you going?" Yang asked, confused

"I need to get something, I'll be right back."

I traipsed back out of the room, politely closing the door behind me. It took me a few minutes to run to the locker room and back. Then a few more to grab the things I needed from my closet. I didn't bother knocking when I got back to Yang, she'd been kind enough to just leave the door unlocked.

When she saw what I had though, I bet she wished she had.

"No." Yang said flatly "There's no way I'm letting you near me with that again."

I held the straight razor openly in my right hand, blade closed and handle resting in my palm. I spun a comb through the fingers of my left hand.

"I'm not going to make it any worse than it already is Yang." I said "I've got some experience with this."

"That doesn't mean I trust you with it."

"Well, I don't have a lot of options open to me in terms of making this up to you, Yang."

"How does letting you near me with a razor make it up to me?" Yang asked skeptically

"Well, short of finding and gluing the hair back to your head, the only way to fix your 'do', would be to even everything out."

"… ok" Yang said considering "But why should I let _you_ do it?"

"Because I need to make amends."

"That's not a reason."

"… fair. Then how about: 'Because how many people do you actually trust to touch your hair'?"

"Three." Yang answered "My dad, Ruby, and me."

"Alright…" I said, thinking "… Well, your dad's not here, I think. Ruby seems pre-occupied with something else. And you… probably can't get a good angle on that part of your head. So cutting it and having it look good isn't an option, given the three."

Yang fixed me with a soft glare, odds were, I'd hit the mark.

"I mean-" I continued "If it weren't the case, you would've taken care of it already. If like your hair so much, you wouldn't willfully walk around with it looking like that… right?"

Yang just continued glaring at me. Even if I was right, she had no reason to admit it.

"… Alright." I sighed "How about this: If you don't like the job I do, you can make a suggestion for a compromise. How's that?"

Yang quirked an eyebrow. " _Any_ suggestion… and that's if I don't like the job you do cutting my hair?"

"Yep."

"So, If I asked you to take your mask off, would you?"

"… possibly, of course if that's the case, then you'd also have to trust me with your hair. And I could _definitely_ do some more damage to it before you could make a grab at my face."

Yang began glaring at me again.

"Let's not be assholes about this Yang. I want to make right, but I have my own limits."

"… Fine." Yang sighed "But if you make it any worse, I'm going to be pissed"

"I promise, I won't make it any worse than it already is."

Yang glared at me for a bit longer, then grabbed a chair and sat herself in front of a mirror set in a corner of the room. Normally I'd have put a sheet around her neck to help keep the hair off of her, but I didn't have one.

I wiped the comb off against my pant leg and moved to begin brushing Yang's hair. She stopped me before the teeth of the instrument touched her though. Reaching out and grabbing my arm.

"What _now_?" I asked

Yang just gave me a deadpan look and pointed to a pile of, what I assumed was anyway, hair care products. Among them being a brush of many spindly bristles.

"I'd like it if you didn't rip more of my hair out using that comb." Yang said flatly.

I didn't say anything in response. At least, giving a frustrated sigh doesn't count as saying anything. I slid the comb back into my pocket and retrieved the brush from the mountain of personal hygiene.

I started by brushing out Yang's hair, starting from the bottom most portions and brushing out, smoothing the hair and making sure there were no knots in it. I didn't expect any, considering Yang was so protective of her hair. But if I hit any while cutting they'd mess everything up. Once I was satisfied that I wasn't going to hit any, I got my razor ready. I looked at Yang in the mirror just to make sure she was okay with this. She looked pensive to say the least. Considering she was trusting me, the guy who 'ruined' her hair, to fix it; that wasn't unexpected.

"… If you don't like the job I'm doing-" I said, gently weaving a length of her hair into my fingers "- all you have to do is tell me to stop."

Yang glared at me for a moment, then rolled her eyes and looked away.

'alrighty then.'

I put the blade to her hair and begun carefully slicing away at it. With the first bite of the razor, I saw Yang recoil a little. Not enough to be troublesome, but to show she was tense about the whole thing. She remained that way as well. Every time I made a new cut she would shift uncomfortably.

I rolled with it for the first few minutes, but it became a problem after that. She was too tense to make the job easy. If I was going to stand a chance at actually 'fixing' the damage done, I was going to need her to be more cooperative than this. Fortunately, I know how to keep people busy most of the time.

"So tell me something, Yang" I said, moving onto another set of tresses "What's the deal with your hair?"

"…the deal?" She asked in confusion

"Yea, I mean you're pretty protective of the stuff. And in a position like this, where long and flow-y things can be a hazard, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It seems like kind of an unnecessary risk."

"This coming from you and that ridiculous coat."

"Hey, don't knock the duster until you've tried it."

"Hmph."

She gave a soft smirk, and looked to the floor. Or rather her gaze shifted to the floor, her head didn't move. So at least my plan was working.

"… Well, I like my hair long, for one." She said

"Mhmm." I grunted in acknowledgement

"It kinda just, makes me feel strong, y'know?"

"Can't say I do, kinda hard to have long hair under this thing." I tapped my helmet.

"Well, it does." She said, smiling softly "Kind of a challenge I guess. Like saying 'I can do what I want and you can't stop me.'."

"I guess I can see that. You've certainly got that going for you most of the time."

Yang gave a soft chuckle. "Yeah…" She looked thoughtful for a moment, as if remembering something "… I guess it's got to do with my step-mom too."

"Step-mom?" I asked "First time I'm hearing this."

"It's a long story." Yang said, smiling warmly "But I guess part of it reminds me of her. She always wore it kind-of long."

" _This_ long?" I asked, curious

"Heh, no, only about her shoulders." Yang said "But she also told me a story once, about this unbeatable huntress that had hair like this. How it was the source of their strength. I guess I clung to the idea."

"No kidding." I said dryly, continuing my work unimpeded.

"She was pretty great, honestly" Yang said, still smiling

"The huntress or your step-mom?"

"Both." She answered, giving me a wry look "But Summer really was a good person, and an even better parent."

"Her name was Summer?" I asked

Yang just smirked in response.

"Right, dumb question."

Yang rolled her eyes. "She was a like a super hero, Summer rose: Super-mom. She was always looking out for me and Ruby when she wasn't hunting Grimm. Telling us stories, baking cookies, brushing my hair, tucking us in at bed… She was a great person."

I stopped cutting Yang's hair for a moment as a thought began occurring to me.

"She's Ruby's mom, isn't she."

Yang gave me a look that, playfully, said I was an idiot. But then nodded in agreement.

" _Oh_ , that's why you two look so different. You've got different parents."

"Different _moms_ " Yang corrected, slightly annoyed "Our dad's the same, a complete goof. I love him anyway though."

"… Then Summer is dead, huh?"

Yang looked at me in the mirror, curious.

"Ruby told me, back when we made that trip to Vale."

"When you two went on your date?" Yang teased

"You know that wasn't what it was, and yes."

"hm." Yang hummed. Her smile became tinged with sadness as her gaze drifted back to the floor "… She left on a mission when we were young. I was probably no more than five at the time."

"And she never came back, did she?"

Yang didn't answer. She didn't have to for me to get the picture.

Now Yang's fondness of her hair made sense. It wasn't just some challenge to everyone else. It was a link to her past. To someone important that she'd lost. Her anger was most likely drawn from anyone who would try to destroy their memory as it was anything else.

If anyone tried to throw mud at Cass, I'd flat out murder them.

At that correlation, I felt a pang form in my chest. One that wouldn't go away.

"… I'm sorry Yang."

Yang blinked and looked back up in the mirror at me.

"If I'd known how much your hair had meant to you, I wouldn't have used it, _period_."

Now it was my turn to look at the floor. As much out of shame as out of my own growing self-loathing. I've got few roots leading to my past, and knowing I cut someone else's did no wonders for me. If someone cut the ones I had to Cass…

'She's fine. She'll be fine.'

I felt Yang pat me on the arm shortly thereafter, having turned half-way around in the chair to do it.

"It was a long time ago, and you didn't know." She said, smiling warmly "It's ok."

"… No it's not." I answered, resuming my work "I'll find a way to make it up to you."

"You could always-"

"No."

Yang scoffed a little and began looking straight ahead into the mirror.

"Honestly, I think it sucks more for you." She said

"How so?"

"You've got these aura issues going on. That's gotta suck, supposedly not having one."

"… oh… _that_."

Yang quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Sooo… funny story."

I explained to Yang what happened at the medical office after the match. Explaining how apparently getting the tar kicked out of me on the regular had apparently damaged my aura to the point of seeming non-existent. How it had apparently recovered over the past few days.

And how it _technically_ made me a giant hypocrite.

"… You're joking, right?" Yang asked

"I almost wish I was." I answered "If for no other reason than I hate being a hypocrite."

"So, after all that yelling, it turns out you have an aura."

"A weak one, but yep. Turns out somewhere in this hideous body of mine lives an itty-bitty soul. Yippee."

"… heh, ha ha-"

Yang started laughing, either at my incompetence or at my displeasure. I couldn't tell which.

"Yea, yea, laugh while you can." I grumble

"It's just- *heh*- You were so sure you were right *hah*"

"Yeah, well I wasn't, sue me."

Yang giggled for a little bit longer, then eventually suppressed it. Though she kept a smile on her face.

"… Did you really think you couldn't have an aura?" She asked

"Was pretty damn sure I couldn't anyway. Didn't have any evidence to the contrary, even with the rest of you having one."

"Why?"

"Because you kept saying it's from your _soul_. How the hell do you prove that's a thing?"

"I… actually don't know. We're just taught from a young age that aura and soul are linked. I've never really had it explained how we figured that out."

"And there's the problem, no one _wanted_ to explain how we figured that out."

"… so did you just assume you didn't have a soul then?"

"I didn't assume anything, because then I would start raising questions I wanted no answers to."

Yang just rolled her eyes, surprisingly unconcerned about whether or not souls had any bearing on the afterlife.

"So, what, Aura isn't common where you're from?"

"The only people who believe souls give you superpowers have been stung in the brain by scorpions… repeatedly."

Yang gave me a look that said she probably wondered how serious I was being. If she only knew.

"What you said the other day-" Yang started "-about getting shot, stabbed, and all that. Were you being serious?"

"Hmph, you've seen my scars." I answered "You don't get things like that without earning them one stupid way or another."

I examined Yang's hair. I didn't have much left to fix now. Maybe another minute or two.

"If you don't mind, how did you… y'know, survive?" Yang asked

"Grit and determination." I answered smoothly "Also alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol. Helped numb the pain. Learned a bit about medicine too. Got good at basic First aid, then started reading whatever medical texts I could find."

"So you're _doctor_ Six?" Yang asked, smirking

"Hardly." I scoffed "The Mojave doesn't have much in the way of accredited institutions. Most of the practicing ones only learned what they do through apprenticeships and old medical texts. Frankly, I'm probably more qualified than most 'doctors' you'd meet where I'm from."

"… Is that supposed to be scary or cool?"

"… Both, actually. A bit sad too."

Yang chuckled, part of me wanted to laugh too. Except I knew that there'd been times when what I'd known hadn't been enough. In every sense that could apply to.

"Bet you had lots of friends then." Yang said "Everybody wants to be friends with the doctor."

"Hmph." I chuckled mirthlessly "Sometimes more than others. Boone and Raul were always good at making sure they didn't get too banged up. But Lily and Veronica wouldn't stop throwing themselves at trouble. Probably doesn't help that they were more prone to duking it out with trouble than shooting it."

"… no kidding?"

"Yea, With Boone and Raul, They'd occasionally get roughed up. They'd get bit, or shot, or whatever else when they weren't paying attention. Lily and Veronica though, would get run through the ringer regularly. Veronica always got the worst of it too, she never really had much protecting her aside from her fists."

"Uh huh~"

"Lily always got through better though. It probably helps that she was a-"

I stopped when I finally realized what I was doing. I focused and noticed Yang was looking at me in the mirror, an inquisitive look on her face and a glimmer in her eye.

"Was a what~?" Yang asked, trying to get me to continue

"… A competent fighter." I finished, gruffer than I'd been

"Aww, don't be like that. You don't talk about your friends from back home."

"Yea, well, if you meet them then they can tell the stories. I'm just here to cut hair."

Yang lost the look on her face and rolled her eyes. I felt like she'd been trying to pump as much out of me as she could. That didn't seem right, normally snowflake was the one who'd try that. Then there was Ruby earlier, with her spear tipped remarks.

Seriously, what was going on?

I finished swiping at Yang's hair with the razor and dusted her off quickly with my hand. Then I closed my implement and stepped back a little.

"Alright, I'd say you're done. Though I recommend a shower at your earliest convenience. Cut hair itches terribly when left on skin."

Yang stood up from the chair and pulled her hair round front of her. A look of surprise on her face. She then moved it back and swayed a little, getting a better view of it as a whole.

"You fixed it." Yang said, soft surprise in her voice "It's almost like nothing happened."

"Well, I didn't 'fix it'" I said, placating "I more 'evened it out'. You can't exactly glue hair back on, so I just made it look like it did before… only, y'know, shorter by a few inches. Most people probably won't even notice the difference."

Yang gave me a dull look in the mirror and rolled her eyes. "You really know how to make a girl feel special, you know that?"

"So I've been told." I said "We square now?"

"… Almost" Yang said, still facing the mirror

"Almost?"

With a twist, Yang spun to face me, her right arm lashing out at me. I'd have dipped into a stance if it hadn't come up short of my face. Her hand was clenched into a fist, save for a sole finger she was stabbing at my face.

"Almost." Yang said sternly "We're 'even' now. We both have one win over the other."

I tried to back up and Yang just moved in closer, clearly intent on making herself seem intimidating.

"The next time we fight, we'll see which one of us is better." She said a ferocious, toothy grin on her face "Next time, it's winner take all!"

"… What are you, ten?"

Yang lost the grin and just shook her head playfully. "You'll never win with that attitude."

"… watch me." I said, glaring lightly back at her.

Yang smirked at me, and I returned it with one of my own. Then we both started laughing. I guess things had blown over enough now.

We stopped laughing about the time there was a knock on the door. It cracked open a smidge and a trio of heads poked in, each on top of the others. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake, eyed us from the doorway.

"Are you two finally done?" Weiss asked, grimacing

"Hmph, Yea, we're good." Yang said, still smiling "You can come in now."

The trio of head pulled back from the door way and the door opened fully, allowing them to walk into the room.

"How long have you three been waiting out there?" I asked

"Over half an hour" Blake said indifferently

"Really, I took that long?"

"I'd say it was worth it." Yang said, playing with her hair "At least I don't feel as off balance now."

"Whoa~" Ruby said, looking at her sister's head "It almost looks like it did before."

"… It's a little short." Weiss said begrudgingly

"Give it a few weeks." I answered "You won't be able to tell the difference."

"So you're a barber _and_ a mailman?" Blake asked

" _No_ , I'm whatever I need to be. I just so happen to be decent at a bunch of different things."

"Including being a barber?"

"Including shearing and barbery, yes."

"Ooh, ooh, do me!" Ruby said, moving to the chair in front of the mirror.

"Ruby, I just said I wasn't-"

" _Please~_ " Ruby said, giving me the same puppy eyes she did earlier. Their innocence burning me like a bolt of fresh plasma. I could feel it eroding my will like stone in a sandstorm, chipping away at me until I was ready to crumble. I held out as long as I could.

"Ugh, fine." I groaned

It wasn't long enough.

With a smile, Ruby seated herself on the chair. I could feel everyone's eyes on me for some reason. Probably scrutinizing me to determine if they could weasel haircuts out of me too.

"So, what do you want done?" I asked

"Just a trim." Ruby said brightly

"… You sure? With this red and black thing your hair has going, I'd say you'd look pretty kick-ass with a Mohawk."

Ruby blanched a little bit "N-no, just a trim, please."

"… alrighty then."

I set to work on giving Ruby a trim. Quietly biting back the urge to give her a Mohawk anyway.

* * *

 **Another chapter down, sorry again. I try to keep the maximum wait time to within a month, but life has a tendency to exacerbate delays.**

 **I just want to say thanks to everyone for the positive feedback last chapter. That one's been weighing on my mind for a while now, and finding out I handled it acceptablly puts me at ease. Thank you, you guys rock.**

 **Rnij: Sorry for the wait, unfortunately, it was not and neither is this. There's something I want to handle and things I need to prep for Vol. 2. Suffice to say, there's going to be a few more intermission chapters, sorry.**

 **Lilbord04: For making me laugh you receive a comment award. Wear it with pride.**

 **Ediros: I tried to explain it like this: the more damaged a part of the body becomes (bone, muscle, organ, etc.) The more it takes to heal, and without proper rehabilitation they never return to their previous the case of Ozpin or Qrow, both have had their aura's active for a long time and have had ample opportunity to recuperate. Where as Six, who's been beaten to hell and back by everything under the sun, only just got his. Meaning he's only just taken the first steps towards possible recovery.**

 **Snappy: Is that Six getting his nose beat in, or the kid?**

 **The Great Big World: Thank you, onward indeed.**

 **Four Elemental: I'm gonna let you stew on that one for a while.**

 **I belive this is where we part ways for now, The fanfic has been brought to you by Sharecropper Farms: Brown is the color of fresh produce.**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**

 **Hey all, this is the Beta Reader, I just want to ask (ei: beg) that someone with skill at drawing produce a drawing/doodle of Ruby sporting a mohawk while Six stands proudly in the background. I *need* this. (lol)**

 **~ Mecharic**


	23. Intermission 5: Work in the Shop

"So Veronica and Lily-" Yang said, pointing to the weathered photo "Are probably these girls here, the one in the dress and the one with the hat."

"How can you be sure either of them is in this picture?" Weiss asked, scrutinizing the two figures

"I'm not, but he said they were friends of his." Yang shrugged "And, if this picture _is_ his, then maybe the people in it are his friends from wherever this 'Mojave' is."

The whole of team RWBY, minus their plus one, were gathered in their room, the late morning sun poking through the windows of their room as they went about their work of studying the photo in their possession and pooling the small amount of intelligence they'd gathered over the course of the past week. It had not been much, but the girls were determined none the less.

"What about her?" Ruby asked innocently, pointing to the picture. Specifically to the blue giant, wearing a pair of feminine overalls and a straw hat. "Maybe she's one of them?"

"Uh… Sis, I'm pretty sure he's not a she." Yang said, as delicately as possible

"No, I'm pretty sure _she_ is." Ruby re-affirmed "Just look at that hat."

"Their clothing doesn't mean anything." Weiss snipped "And wasting time on this doesn't help us anyway. Since, as far as we're aware, we've made no _real_ progress on finding anything out. Right, Blake?"

"Hm." Blake agreed from her bed, reading one of her many books "Since we haven't been allowed to leave, finding out about that book isn't going to help yet. Considering we won't be allowed into Vale until sometime late this weekend or early next week anyway, we can only wait for that."

"Which doesn't help." Weiss said, pointedly "We don't have much to work with, and we can't ask him without him just dancing around what we're asking him."

"Well you can't anyway" Yang smirked "I'd say Blake and me were pretty good at it."

"W-well, maybe, but Blake's search didn't turn up anything, right?"

Both the white and yellow huntresses turned to look at their black haired cohort who in turn continued reading her book.

"… I wasn't able to find anything about an 'America'." Blake affirmed, turning a page.

" _See._ " Weiss reiterated "That was a dead end too."

"No, I mean _anything_." Blake intoned "I've checked every atlas, history book, and research paper I could in the library. So far, there's not even a _footnote_ that mentions anything about an 'America', or what it even is. Six made it sound like a place, but that makes even less sense."

"Because how can anything be from a place that doesn't exist?" Yang finished

Blake nodded "Maybe Tukson can turn something up that we can't, if the book is really from there. But until I can go see him, I have no way of knowing."

The team fell silent for a moment, the weight of their current lack of knowledge weighing on the heavily. Nearly a week and a half's searching had resulted in nothing for them save for a word and much wasted energy.

"… Then perhaps-" Weiss said "It's time we try asking him questions again."

"Weiss~" Ruby whined, sounding slightly distressed

"We won't get anywhere like this." Weiss said shortly "We can't find anything."

"And our only lead is a word that we can't find anywhere outside of a book." Blake said, slightly saddened in her agreement with Weiss.

"One that _he_ lent us." Weiss added "We don't have a lot of options, Ruby."

"But-"

"We _need_ to ask him."

Ruby looked at her partner with a pained expression. This was not what she wanted to do or how to handle this. She looked to Blake, but the outed faunus was staring stone faced into her book, trying to appear impassive, though the tilt of her bow implied she herself may not be comfortable with this either. Knowing she wouldn't find support in Blake, Ruby turned instead to her sister, only to see looks of similar discomfort.

"I'm not a fan of it either." Yang said "But we don't have many options."

Ruby's gaze fell sadly to the floor. She'd made her feelings on asking the courier questions known. She wanted answers, but not at the cost of pushing her friend away. But there weren't going to be any answers unless they asked him questions. They had almost nothing else to work with, and were otherwise trapped on campus until the end of their break. They were going to be forced to do something, regardless of how the situation turned out.

It only upset Ruby more.

"… _we_ won't ask him." Ruby said at last.

"Ruby-" Weiss started.

" _I_ will."

Weiss's expression switched to one of surprise.

"Are you sure about that sis?"

"Nope" Ruby answered honestly, putting on a brave face "But if less people are asking him, maybe we'll have a better shot at getting the answers."

Weiss nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm just… going to have to figure out how and what to ask him."

"And where he is." Yang said, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Weiss asked.

"To go find him." Yang said, waving her hand "I'll message your scroll when I do, sis."

…

Part of me regretted not giving Ruby a mohawk. I'd respected her wishes and didn't give her one, but the fact is I think she would've looked good with one.

But, we've all got our own tastes, I guess.

The rest of my day after my apology to Yang had been uneventful, I'd meandered through it. It was the next day now, and I'd finally found some energy to do something. Maybe it wasn't what I should have _really_ been focusing on at the time, but I'd take anything over nothing.

I was standing in the mostly empty weapons workshop, leaning over a work table with two sets of armor in front of me. My wrecked riot gear and a set of reinforced Mk.2 Combat armor. I'd brought it with me when I started this journey, on the off chance I needed to make repairs to the riot gear. The armor plating was made of the same material, so it made replacing the damaged bits a simple matter of cutting and shaping it.

Also painting it. Off-white plate metal clashed horribly with the darker colors of my normal armor.

I clamped a fresh cut piece of the plating into place and began hammering it. It was a miracle the workshop had all the tools I needed. I'd done this work in the past with _literal_ rocks and sticks, it took me hours more than this had.

"If you don't mind my asking-" Coco said, leaning on the work table, visibly bored out of her skull "Why are you working on armor anyway?"

"Don't trust aura." I said, tapping the metal with my hammer "I've seen it handle plenty, but the one time it fails is going to be the time you die."

"And wearing armor would stop that how? If you're fighting a Grimm that's gone through your aura, you're pretty much dead anyway."

"You'd be surprised how good an inch thick piece of layered steel, Kevlar, and ceramics is at stopping claws and teeth… or bullets, arrows, spears, swords, shrapnel, and general mayhem."

"… Does it really work that well?" Velvet asked quietly, leaning over a camera she had rested on the work table.

"Well… It works well enough." I answered, shrugging "It's kept me alive so far, so there's no real reason to stop yet."

Velvet tilted her head a little and stared at the two sets of armor laid out on the table. I hadn't expected to run into either her or Coco. I hadn't really gotten the chance to meet up with them after I'd met them at Byz's a week or two ago so walking into the workshop and seeing them working on various projects had been a nice surprise. I didn't make a big deal out of them seeing my armors either. Far as either of them probably cared, they were fashion statements, or something similar anyway.

"So, here's another question then:" Coco said, staring closer at the combat armor "Why do you have armor that looks like it belongs to the Atlesian military?"

"… Well, I don't know about that." I said, swapping to the next cut of material "It's just another set of armor I brought here from home. As to why it looks like someone's uniform, I have no idea."

Coco eyed the armor for a bit longer, probably wondering who I stole it from. Then she shrugged, and went back to fiddling with her handbag for some reason.

"So, my turn to ask" I said "Why are you two here? Its summer, shouldn't you be out doing whatever it is normal people do in hot weather?"

"It's a free kingdom." Coco said without looking up from her work "We can do what we want."

"Yatsu and Fox are from mistral." Velvet said, her tone surprisingly sweet "They wouldn't be able to travel there and back in time to enjoy their vacation. Coco and I didn't want them getting lonely over break, so we decided to stay on campus."

Coco stopped working for a moment, her hands freezing in place. Her face pulled itself tightly together in a look of embarrassment as her cheeks got a little flush, her unflappable façade crumbling slightly.

"… sounds like your teammate just sussed you." I said, chuckling a little.

Velvet blinked and looked at her Coco. Her rabbit ears drooped slightly and she gave Coco a pained, lopsided smile. "Sorry."

Coco sighed, relaxing back to her normal, hard to read feature, pushing her sunglasses up with the back of her hand and rubbing her eyes. "What about you?"

"My team and me did something stupid." I answered "Got punished by being stuck on campus for the remainder of this week."

"What'd you do?" Velvet asked

"Oh, you know; broke curfew, caused a couple noise complaints, foiled a few acts of domestic terror, murdered a few dozen people, the usual stuff."

Both Coco and Velvet looked at me like I had two heads, probably hoping I was joking.

"… I was joking about the murders." I lied

They both shared a look then gave a skeptical nod. What, wasn't it normal to thwart thieves and terrorists around here? I did that shit regularly back home.

I finished putting the armor plating in place and secured it. The plates were riveted to several sheets of Kevlar, separate from the main vest. Said layers were reinforced with leather and ceramics to make sure the weight didn't tear the plates free. It probably wasn't as weight efficient as the pre-war way of making it, but it worked and it worked well.

With the vest done, I moved on to repairing the duster, which was a bit trickier, since sewing isn't my strong suit. I couldn't exactly stitch bullet holes shut either meaning I was going to need to do a patch job. It was either that or pay for Byz to repair it, but being stuck at the school I'd have needed to wait before doing so. Considering I wanted my armor fixed _before_ the next time someone tried to kill me, waiting wasn't an option. No one was going to wait around for me to be ready. In addition, my coat was probably in worse condition than the actual armor. Using it like a decoy may have been a successful idea, but the only thing left holding it together was hopes, dreams, and a few in-tact threads.

I set to work stitching the holes shut. They weren't going to be perfect, you'd be able to tell it was a patch job, but as long as it held together until I could get it repaired or properly replaced, I didn't give too much of a damn.

In my periphery, it looked like Coco and Velvet were getting into some kind of silent argument. I paid them only a little mind, and let them do what they needed to.

"Um… Six?" Velvet asked.

"Yea?" I answered, focusing on my stitching.

"I just wanted to ask, if it's not too personal, why are you wearing a helmet?"

"Hrm." I grunted "safety reasons, same reasons I wear armor."

"But you're not wearing armor _now_." Coco said, giving me a curious glance.

"Semantics."

"But you seem to always be wearing it." Velvet noted.

"Why's that such a big deal?" I asked "I don't want to get hit in the head, is that such a – _OW_!"

I pulled my hands from the coat and shook the one that hurt. I had jammed the needle I was using into my middle finger by about half an inch.

"You ok?" Coco asked.

"Yea, yea, just pricked my damn finger." I said, squeezing it.

"Language." Velvet said softly.

I stopped focusing on my finger long enough to look at Velvet. She must have thought I was glaring at her because she shrank a little and let her ears droop.

'What is it with everyone and telling me to watch my language?'

"… I wear my mask because it makes me comfortable." I answered evenly "-it also makes it easier to torment people because they can't tell when I'm being serious or not."

Velvet gave a little whine before, surprisingly, giving me a little glare. I think she was trying to go for serious or angry, but she just didn't have the natural malice for it, like Ruby. She came off more 'cute' than anything else.

"You sure you're not just trying to make some sort of statement?" Coco asked, smirking.

"Please, I wouldn't stand a chance against that sweater-corset combo you're wearing."

For a second Coco looked like I'd slapped her in the face. Velvet's ears pricked upright and I saw her slowly backing away from the two of us. Coco scowled and began glaring at me over her glasses.

"Or maybe we can talk about that one ridiculous lock of hair you have running along the side of your head?" I asked "I've got a straight razor, I can lop it off if you want?"

She kept glaring at me.

"You want to throw mud at my clothes, I can hurl it right back." I said flatly "You want to argue the casualties of fashion with me, I hope you're ready for a few war crimes-"

"It's a blouse." Coco said evenly.

"… Excuse me?"

"My shirt" Coco said "It's a blouse, part of Carmine de Violet's fall collection last year. Not a sweater."

"Uh-"

"Also, the thing around my waist isn't a corset. It's a clincher. A corset is meant to accentuate the chest."

"But-"

"And my hair-" Coco finished "-it's called fashionable asymmetry. Something you would know if you understood fashion. Tell me, are you really sure you want to have this argument?"

Coco gave me a smirk. She had just succinctly blown holes in my statements, and clearly knew more about 'fashion' than I did. This was not an argument I was going to win.

"Of course" Coco continued "Given how ugly that armor of yours is-"

"You better not insult the armor." I said seriously "Because style be damned, it's better than half the outfits _anyone_ in this academy wears."

"Guys, please stop arguing." Velvet begged.

"Sorry V." I said, giving her a lopsided look "I'm afraid this is happening now."

"It doesn't have to." Coco said, still smirking "Just apologize for insulting my outfit."

"Not while I've gotta keep staring at the impractical mess that is _you_."

Coco's smirk faded.

"First of all, what's everyone's obsession with wearing heels?" I asked "That's a mark against you since they're a liability in a fight."

"We can use our aura to reinforce them." Coco said flatly "They're as practical as any other shoe after that."

'Right up until your aura runs out.' I thought

"What about that coat of yours?" Coco asked "It doesn't look very protective, and it's any easy target for any Grimm."

"My _duster_ is made from an oil treated canvas." I stated "It protects me from the elements, is sturdy enough to resist some pierces and slashes, and can work as a makeshift blanket in a pinch."

I saw Coco's lip twitch at that last one. She probably thought it was funny. Maintaining appropriate body temperature while sleeping is not a joking matter.

"Second, what's with your pants?" I continued "I can understand the need for more pockets. But do you seriously need all the zippers? Or the half a skirt?"

"The zippers allow me to change the length of my pants at a moment's notice." Coco replied "That way If I need to change them for the situation I can."

"What situation-"

"As for my skirt, it provides cushioning for when I'm using Raze Couture." She said patting her handbag "Can you say the same about your pants?"

"My _fatigues_ are made of a breathable material, with drawstrings built into each leg to make them form fit as needed." I growled "They're lightweight, can be layered, and have enough pockets to carry every bit of junk I could want."

"And have more belts than you could ever need." Coco drawled

"Guys-" Velvet said, "please stop-"

"They can be used as improvised tourniquets, have multiple holsters mounted to them, and can actually support a good deal of weight. Unlike that strip of garbage around your waist."

Coco bared her teeth at me now. "At least my belt has character. More than that stupid helmet of yours."

" _Please~_ " Velvet whined

"My helmet has night vision and provides more protection than that rag you call a beret" I growled

"MY BERET LOOKS BETTER THAN YOUR ENTIRE-"

"STOP!" Velvet shouted

Coco and I stopped arguing and looked to the rabbit faunus. Her face had scrunched up into what I could only assume was supposed to be a look of anger. It was undercut, though, by what looked like a small blush and the fact she lacked the general ability to 'look' angry. The tint of my goggles still made it hard to tell, but her face looked a little discolored, so it was a guess.

"Please _stop._ " Velvet reiterated "You both look ugly, now can you stop arguing?"

Coco looked like Velvet just punched her in the stomach. I wasn't as bothered by it, more amused than anything. But it was still surprising to see. Velvet struck me as being too meek to actually have a limit to the abuse she would take. Granted, the only experience I had to draw on for her never showed her being very assertive. So perhaps it wasn't supposed to be surprising.

"The little rabbit has teeth." I said "Imagine that."

Velvet continued glaring at me in her scrunched up anger, but her ears flopped to the sides of her head. If I had to guess, she was embarrassed now and trying not to show it. It made me chuckle a little.

"Alright" I said, taking a breath "I guess this argument is kind of pointless, right Coco?"

"W-whatever." Coco said, averting her gaze and crossing her arms.

I looked over Coco's outfit as a whole, instead of picking it apart. Taking in the different elements she'd used in it. "I guess, despite my own tastes, you make it work for you." I admitted "All the elements you pull together look good when you use them like this."

"… Thank you." Coco said after a pause "… I guess I can say the same for you. I'm not going to say it's fashionable, but you pull enough different elements together to give you a… distinct, look."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Coco just gave me a smirk. I rolled my eyes, which she probably couldn't tell, and went back to my sewing.

"… What about Velvet?" Coco asked

"What about her?" I asked

"If you're so obtuse about fashion, what do you think of her outfit?"

I looked back to Velvet, who just seemed to squirm awkwardly over her camera.

"I actually think she looks pretty good." I admitted.

Velvet blinked and her ears slowly returned to their normal position of her head.

"Really?" Coco asked, honestly

"Mm, Byz sold me on her outfit back when we met, remember?" I said, gesturing towards Velvet "He gave me enough reasons why it was practical and left it open enough that Velvet could make it look however she wants." I looked away momentarily from my work. "Truth be told, V, you look pretty good."

Velvet's face got a little discolored again, and she averted her gaze back to her camera. "T-thank you." She said, not looking back up.

"No need to be bashful." I said, narrowly avoiding pricking myself again.

"Why are you so concerned with being practical?" Coco asked "I guess I can understand the armor, but why the rest of it? Your aura should be able to take care of the rest."

"Psh, yea, aura." I said, dismissive "I'm not exactly on steady terms with the stuff. I'm a bit more comfortable relying on armor and equipment than I am on _that_."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Coco asked, confused

"You'll probably understand come next term." I answered "Assuming Goodwitch was serious about sticking us with the upper classmen for sparring."

"You're going to be in our sparring class?" Velvet asked, chancing a glance up

"Not just me, my entire class." I corrected "A pair of idiots put a hole in the classroom wall, and until they fix it we're being moved into a class with you guys."

"I guess we'll be seeing more of each other then." Coco said "Plenty of time to convince you to do something about your taste in clothing."

"Oh, don't start that again." I warned "Because I won't win, but I'll sure as hell will take you with me."

"language" Velvet said softly.

"That's not a battle you're going to win either, V." I said, as warmly as I could "I suggest quitting while you're ahead."

Velvet just gave me a pointed look in response.

"Y'know" Coco said "You're pretty relaxed for an under-classmen."

"I am?"

"Yea, normally first years are all jumpy and acting like hotshots, thinking they're the next big thing. You're surprisingly mellow compared to everyone else."

"Meh, I've got a bit more experience than them." I answered "I know running around and shooting my mouth off at the drop of a hat is more liable to get you into hot water. Plus, I find people acting like Cardin completely disgusting."

"Yes." Velvet squeaked

"Agreed." Coco nodded.

"Great, glad we're all on the same page- _dammit!_ "

I pulled my finger away from my coat again and tried to press my lips against it, in some instinctual urge to push the pain away. I wound up hitting my mask instead.

I looked at my coat. I'd sewed maybe three of the bullet holes shut, which was more than I'd done when I'd started. But that was three out of a few dozen. At the rate I was going, actually finishing the repairs was going to take forever. That spoke nothing of how the end result would look either.

I stared down at the coat for a bit longer, then began putting my materials away.

"You're giving up?" Coco asked

"No, just taking a break from it." I answered "There's more work than I've got patience for, so I'll come back to it later."

Once everything was neatly packed together, I set it off to one side and began taking out a different set of tools. Then I pulled out the Ranger Sequoia, That Gun, and my Cattle prod and set them on the work bench as well. I owed them a more thorough maintenance than they'd received recently but I'd also been so overtly busy it just hadn't been an option. I started with my Cattle prod, disconnecting the wires from the power-cells attached to the main shaft.

"What's that you're working on then?" Velvet asked, finally overcoming her bout of shyness

"Call it a Cattle Prod." I said, examining the terminals and wiring "Or the 'farmer's best friend' if you're feeling wordy."

"That doesn't exactly clear it up." Coco said dryly

I gave the fashionista a lopsided look "… you being serious?"

Coco looked at me over her glasses, an eyebrow arced, signaling me that she was in fact serious. Though whether that meant she had no idea what a cattle prod was or that they didn't exist in this world was a different matter.

"Well" I ventured forward "A cattle prod is typically a farm implement."

Now Velvet was giving me a confused look as well.

"Ok…" Coco said nodding

"It's used to help 'encourage' cows and similar cattle to move in a desired direction." I continued "Most effectively by shocking them."

"… So it's an electrode?" Velvet asked

"…"

I failed to resist the urge to smack my face into the palm of my hand. "I'm an idiot- Yea, that's probably a more accurate word for it."

"Then why didn't you just call it that?" Coco asked, chuckling a little

"I didn't think of it." I responded "Everyone back where I'm from just calls them 'cattle prods'. Since they, you know, prod cattle with them."

"Then why do you have one?" Velvet asked, one ear pricked up in confusion

"Because it's a fairly effective club as well." I answered "Solid construction, nice weight, and the added bonus of being able to deliver around 75,000 volts at .5 mili-amps."

The numbers didn't seem to mean anything to Coco, but I could've sworn the color drained from Velvet's face.

"What kind of cows do you have back home!?" Velvet squeaked

"Is it that bad?" Coco asked, confused

"Coco, at _1_ amp, 75,000 volts is enough to kill someone!"

"Oh, neat." I said "You know you're stuff."

Coco and Velvet exchanged looks of horror for a moment, then looked back to me, and then at the cattle prod.

"… to be fair-" I said "They don't come at that level by default. I _might_ have tweaked it a little bit so it would be more useful for general application."

"Why would you _want_ that!?" Velvet squeaked again

"Because it's nice having an electrode that's got a little pep to it." I said "Electricity has a nice effect in pacifying most anything stuck with it long enough."

"By _frying_ them!"

"Only if left long enough." I said, confused now "What's the deal V? People run around this place shooting each other like it's nothing, why is my shocking people… well, surprising?"

"Because you could _kill_ someone if you use it wrong!" Velvet shouted "Doesn't that concern you!?"

"Uh… yeah, kind of. That's why I've also installed a dial that lets me control how much power I've got going at once."

I flipped the rod around to them and tapped at the dial, situated just above the handle. They both stared at it for a, surprisingly, long moment. Then they switched back to me, now looking slightly annoyed for some reason.

"… What?" I asked "Did you seriously assume I just had it set to instantly kill someone when I hit them? What kind of reckless idiot do you think I am?"

I'd actually tried it back in the Mojave, when I was feeling experimental. Wanted to see if I could save myself some trouble. It failed, catastrophically. The wires melted, the terminals corroded in seconds, the electrode proper crumbled to overheated metal shards, and the shaft went limp.

Also, the batteries exploded. Nearly took my hand with them. Had to get a new cattle prod after that.

"I'm careful when it comes to people." I said "There're a lot of things the human body can survive, but there're plenty more that we can't. My general aim is to avoid hurting people where I can. So relax, I'm not planning to go around electrocuting people."

Velvet continued to look pensive, almost as if she wasn't sure what to make of what I was telling her. She sunk slightly, despondent for reasons I didn't quite get.

"… Don't know if it'll make you feel better or not-" I said "But I've used it on Cardin in the past."

Velvet's eyes quirked back up to me, her attention on me.

"Sad as I am to say it, he's still amongst us."

Velvet blinked at me, then just gave this soft little chuckle.

"Can't say it did him any harm either. He's still as dumb as a bag of rocks."

"Worse-" Coco added "You might've made him smarter."

I shivered a little at the thought. "Please don't go wishing me ill like that."

Velvet kept chuckling, and a small smile began to cross her face. Guess the thought of Cardin's suffering cheered her a little.

I focused on finishing the disassembly and cleaning of the cattle prod after that. It wasn't something as prone to getting dirty like my guns and other weapons were so was more important that I check it to make sure nothing had been busted or knocked loose from all the abuse. From what I could tell, it was looking spick and span so I began re-assembling it shortly there-after.

It was right about then that the doors to the workshop swung inward. A blonde mop of hair peered its way in past the frame, scanning the room quickly. It didn't take her long to lock eyes onto me.

"Found you~" Yang said, giving a playful grin.

"Hey sunshine." I said, parroting her enthusiasm.

Yang glided through the doorway and approached the work bench. She pulled out her scroll while she did, her fingers dancing over its screen for a moment. Then she shut it and put it back, never once losing the smirk on her face. As she drew close, her eyes flicked back and forth between Me, Coco, and Velvet.

"Wasn't expecting to find you with company." Yang commented.

"Neither was I-" I answered, reconnecting the battery terminals. "But I'd say it's been pretty enjoyable."

"You mind introducing us?" Coco asked.

"Depends, you turn as shy as V?"

Coco gave me a small glare over her sunglasses, then turned to look at Yang, giving her a nod. "Coco Adel."

"V-Velvet Scarlatina" Velvet said, giving a little wave.

Yang smiled, giving a wave of her own "I'm Yang, Six's teammate… don't think I've seen either of you before."

"They're upperclassmen." I supplied double checking the soldering job on the wiring. "They tend not to run in the same circle as us."

"Guess so" Yang said, pulling up a stool to the workbench. "So~, what you up to?"

"Bit of maintenance." I answered, double checking everything before re-connecting the batteries "It's a bit overdue, and last thing I need is for it to fail on me when I need it."

With the batteries reconnected, I held the cattle prod at arm's length and placed my thumb on the dial, carefully cranking the voltage up to roughly 25% max capacity. I could just barely pick up a faint humming from the electrode.

'All good so far.'

"Is it supposed to be humming like that?" Velvet asked, ears pricked slightly

"A little, yeah." I said "Gotta put it through its paces to make sure I put it back together right though."

I cranked the dial further, skipping 50% and jumping straight to 75%. In an actual combat situation I wasn't going to have the luxury of letting it increase current slowly. The humming erupted into an ominous crackling almost instantly. The electrode gained a faint blue aura and small spurts of electricity crackled between the lengths of coil intermittently.

"That's definitely not right." I murmured "The electrode shouldn't be able to pull that much current."

"Maybe you should turn it off then." Coco said "Before you electrocute yourself."

"Yeah, probably not-"

Before I could finish, a couple of things happened at once. Firstly, I saw a faint green glow quickly arc its way up my arm and over the rest of me. It sort of 'warbled' over me like disturbed water for a split second, then faded. Second, the cattle prod made a 'pop' sound and suddenly the electrode stopped crackling.

Then, thirdly, there was a lightning hot pain that shot up my arm, chasing after the faded light. The pain shot through me and I could feel every muscle tense for a second.

The cattle prod was electrocuting me.

"SON OF A BITCH!" I said, my voice strained, pained, and tense.

It was only by minute instinct that I released the cattle prod, and stopped myself from being further electrocuted.

The cattle prod hit the work bench and died. My arm instantly coiled inward to my chest and I didn't resist the urge to let the rest of me do the same. Getting shocked was never a pleasant experience, and the only way to get through it was to ride the pain.

"Six!" Yang said, suddenly springing from her stool. Her voice sounded muffled, but that might've been because I was focused on curling into a little ball right then. I focused on letting the pain subside. Fun fact about electricity, it doesn't burn you the same way fire does. Fire, via thermal radiation, pushes excess heat into the cells closest to the heat source causing them to burst, burn, and so on. Electricity, on the other hand, didn't. It wasn't localized like fire, or based solely on radiation of heat. It was based in the transfer of free electrons which exist in everything on a subatomic level. Except pure water, anyway. But since the human body isn't made of pure water, and contains plenty of other elements, we transfer electricity well enough. So when you get shocked, the reason it occasionally hurts in more places than the immediate location is because the electricity is arcing through you to find a place to ground out. In the process of that, it destroys the cells it arcs through and 'burns' you. With a small enough charge, it hurts, but leaves you relatively unaffected.

75,000 volts at 5 milliamps is not a small charge. Even if I was hit with half that, it would still _hurt_.

It also causes immediate spasming and contraction of muscle tissue. If I hadn't released the cattle prod when I had, the electricity would've kept arcing through me until: A. someone knocked it out of my hand, or B. the electricity burst all of my cells in a slow and painful fashion.

I stayed as a tightly curled ball for a bit, giving my muscles a chance to spasm themselves out. A few deep breaths later, I regained cognizance of my surroundings. My body still hurt, but that was going to fade within a few minutes anyway. I clamped my eyes shut, reigning in my focus.

"..re ..u …k?" A muffled voice asked.

"Hmm?" I grunted, sounding strained.

I breathed deeply, the world creeping back in.

"..x, are you ok?" The voice reiterated, it was Yang's.

I opened my eyes and took stock. I was doubled over the workbench, half fallen off of my stool. Just off my left shoulder, I could see Yang leaning toward me. Her outstretched and a hand resting on my back. She looked to be making sure I was alright, I thought I saw a bit of concern in her eyes.

"'m fin'" I managed to slur out. Slowly trying to push myself back onto my stool. Bracing my arms against the work bench for support. My muscles responding about as readily as dry-rotted rubber.

'Fuck, is this what I've been doing to people?... Wow, I really am an asshole.'

As I slowly set myself to rights, I found a different bit of pressure acting on me. A soft 'push' around the center of my chest, and something equal on my shoulders. I glanced over and, to my surprise, found Velvet and Yang now standing next to me. They seemed to be carefully helping me upright, both showing some subdued level of concern.

"'m gud- I'm good." I said, clarifying my words. Regardless, they didn't release me until I was upright again and even then she kept a hand on my shoulder. Some part of me was actually thankful she did. Even braced on the bench like I was, I didn't feel very steady. So I stayed like that for a second, allowing myself to slowly regain balance. Once I could sit upright unaided, Velvet took her hand off my shoulder and moved back to her stool.

"Thank you, V." I said, just a tad breathless.

"Y-you're welcome, Six." Velvet answered, what was definitely a blush on her face. Not too sure why she was being coy, but whatever.

"What was that all about?" Coco asked.

"Something went wrong with the 'prod." I supplied, tentatively poking the shaft of the weapon.

"No kidding?" Yang asked "You alright?"

"Getting better."

When the cattle prod didn't shock me again, I knew it was slightly safer to work with it again. My first act: knocking the power cells back out of it. Rather than yanking them out with my hands and risking a repeat of the 'Six is a dumbass' show though, I took a screw driver and levered them out. Once they were free and clear of the cattle prod, I set the screwdriver aside and pulled the prod to me. I began disassembling the weapon once more, and had only just disconnected the electrode when I found the problem. Small miracles, I didn't have to tear the whole thing apart again this very instant.

The electrode came free and several small, charred and broken ceramic beads tumbled out of the shaft. Bits of wire clung to each of them. From the head of the electrode came a set of wires as well, Each tipped with broken solder and stiff as sticks.

"Ah, ok, I see what went wrong." I said.

"What?" Yang asked.

"The resistors were worn out." I said, rolling the broken bits around with a finger "All the jumping around and sudden changes in current must've taken their toll."

"So when they broke, there wasn't anything regulating the output." Velvet concluded.

I looked to the Rabbit faunus, curious. "You know about electronics?"

"Eh… a little." Velvet said, a small guilty smile on her face.

"Neat, then this shouldn't come as much of a shock." I said, tapping at the wires "With the unregulated current running through, the solder was the only major resistor, causing it to build excess heat."

"The heat weakened it" Velvet supplied "- and eventually got to the point where it broke loose."

"How'd you figure that out?" Yang asked, looking at the broken prod "It just looks like a bunch of wires to me."

"It was actually _because_ of the wires." I said, touching one of the hardened strands "Copper doesn't anneal and harden like iron or steel. It hardens with slow cooling, and anneals when cooled rapidly. The constant jump back and forth in current would stretch the wires and put strain on them. So when the solder finally gave out, they broke loose." I looked over the broken wire and had a pretty good guess at what happened. "The return wire probably contacted the outer wall of the shaft and, without any the proper ohm count to stop it, gave me a straight shot of the current."

"Oum count?" Yang asked

"Standard measure of electrical resistance." Velvet supplied

'well, at least that crossed over too.' I thought

"Oh…That, sounds painful." Yang said

"It _was_." I mumbled, nipping the busted wiring out. "Fixing it now is going to be a bit more complicated, going to have to splice in some new wires and find some new resistors. Not to mention a soldering iron so I can reattach everything. Of all the tools I normally carry with me, that's one that doesn't get much use."

"… So I guess you could say this _was_ pretty shocking then." Yang said.

I gave her a sideways glance, she was still standing next to me, but now she had this cheesy smirk on her face.

"… That is in incredibly poor taste." I said, slowly packing up the cattle prod.

"Aw, don't be like that, we just patched things up yesterday and now you're trying to _bolt_ me out?"

I didn't respond to that one. I just stared at her with contempt.

"Alright, alright" She said, raising her hands, placating. She began walking around the bench back to her stool. Once she was seated though, she gave me another smile "But, wire you so against puns?"

"Because some people just can't resist making them." I snapped, more than a little annoyed

Yang didn't say anything, but there was a small twinkle in her eyes and her smile got a little bigger. I soon realized why.

"Ah, son of a- Will you _stop_ that!?"

"Aw, c'mon, just admit you like them already."

"I do _not_ like puns!"

"Yeah, you do."

"No, I don't, now stop prodding me- DAMMIT!"

Yang just kept smiling, and added as she started chuckling. "I'll get you to admit it."

While me and Yang were doing this comedy routine, I finished packing the cattle prod and began shifting focus to pistols. Velvet and Coco shared a look with each other like they weren't sure what was going on. Part of me wanted to assure them this wasn't a common occurrence but claiming that, unprovoked, could also have the opposite effect and be the spark to push them into believing it was. I wasn't about to go fanning the flames of that fire.

I set the sequoia to the side and took stock of That Gun. It looked to be in fairly good shape, all considered. A bit dirty, but still serviceable. I started by opening the over-barrel receiver and checking the plumbing.

Right about then, the door opened _again_. My opportunity to focus on work stolen from me once more. This time, it was Ruby who walked through the door. Curiously though, she didn't come in looking like I would expect. From what I could understand, Ruby loved weapons almost as much as I did so she should've had a look of excitement or happiness on her face. Instead, she was looking at the floor and her fidgety body language said she was uncertain. She was mumbling to herself, like she was rehearsing something.

"-youcandothisyoucandothisyoucandothis-" Ruby said, drawing close enough for me to hear

"What's wrong, tiny?" I asked

"Gah!"

Ruby's head snapped up. In her silver eyes I saw a look of near panic. Something was eating at her, and doing a damn fine job of it.

"… You ok?" I asked again

"FINE!" Ruby shouted "Totally normal, nothing strange going on here!"

"…"

There was something strange going on, and it was clearly bothering Ruby.

"Who's this?" Coco asked once more

"My baby sis, Ruby." Yang said "She's also our team leader."

"U-uh" Ruby stuttered finally noticing that there were other people in the room. "… hi."

Ruby continued to stand there, fidgeting awkwardly. I set her out of focus for a moment as I resumed my maintenance on That Gun. The over-barrel receiver looked to be in fairly good condition, but in desperate need of a cleaning. I put a dab of lubricant on some cloth and began wedging it into the nooks and crannies of the mechanism, cleaning the metal of grime.

"So… Six" Ruby said

"Yeah?" I asked, not looking away from the receiver.

"There's- uh- something I want to ask you."

"Well, I'm listening." I said "Depending on what it is, you may or may not get an answer."

An extra stubborn piece of grime clung to the guiding rod in the receiver. I removed the return spring and scrapped at it with a finger nail. It came off, and I returned everything to its place.

"It's just… I don't know if this is something I should ask around… _other_ people."

I looked away from the receiver for a moment, giving a quick glance at Ruby. She was still fidgeting.

"Okayyy, Well I'm not sure what the question is." I answered "But unless it's something super personal, there's no need to be nervous. We're all friends here, right?"

"Eh, I'd say more like close acquaintances." Coco answered sarcastically

'Close enough'

The over-barrel receiver looked clean enough, so I finished polishing it and secured the cover back in place.

"… ok" Ruby said softly "Six-"

I pressed the cylinder release, and the cylinder quickly shot out on its hinge with a mechanical whine. I gave it a small spin and looked back to Ruby.

Her fidgeting had stopped completely, and she was fixated on the cylinder with a surprised look and glimmer forming in her eyes.

"Is… is that an actuated cylinder?" She asked, completely transfixed with my pistol.

"Mhmm." I grunted. A moment later, the ejection rod shot out before quickly retreating back into the cylinder. "Ejector rod too."

The glimmer in Ruby's eyes erupted into a near mirror like shine and a smile started to stretch across her face.

"That's so-"

"Cool~" Velvet finished

I turned from Ruby back to Velvet. She was staring intently at my pistol. Normally, that would be incredibly awkward. But this was a first, Velvet hadn't previously made any mention of her interest in weaponry.

"You like weapons too?" Ruby asked

"U-uh, yes." Velvet said, regaining herself "I think they're amazing, you never see any hunter carrying two that are exactly the same."

"Right!?" Ruby squeaked in agreement "They're just so cool, and everyone has their own way of using them."

"Absolutely" Velvet smiled "I mean, so many people use swords, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone fight exactly the same way. I personally prefer ones that are a bit more complex though."

"What about scythes?"

"Hmm… I don't think I've seen to many of them. I've heard they're supposed to be incredibly difficult to master."

"They totally are. My Crescent Rose is a beautiful work of weaponry, but it took a lot of practice with my uncle to figure out how to use it right."

"You use a scythe?"

"Mhmm" Ruby smiled excitedly.

"…Can I see it?"

"Shouldn't you two get a room before you start asking to check each other's weaponry?" I asked dryly "Or, at least, know each other's names first?"

Ruby gave me a look that said she wasn't entirely sure what I was referring to. Velvet started blushing again and proceeded to revert her gaze to the floor.

Yang and Coco proceeded to give me a withering glare with a white hot intensity that only overprotective friends or siblings can generate.

"… What?" I asked "I was just joking, wasn't trying to be rude."

Yang and Coco continued to glare at me for a moment, but slowly eased up. Probably recognizing I wasn't trying to be mean.

"… I'm Ruby Rose" Ruby said, giving a nod to Velvet.

"V-Velvet Scarlatina." Velvet said, returning the gesture.

Ruby and Velvet shared a small smile.

"Never would've pegged you for a- uh- 'weapons enthusiast', V." I said, cleaning the cylinder. "Considering you seem more transfixed on maintaining that camera of yours."

"That's a camera?" Ruby asked, tilting her head as she looked at the object in front of Velvet.

"Mhmm." Velvet said, dipping a small nod "I put a lot of effort into making it, it took so much testing to get it working right."

"Really?" I asked "It's just a camera, wouldn't think making it would be that hard… come to think of it though, how exactly _do_ you fight with a camera?"

Velvet's face went blank. "Uhm…"

"That's a secret." Coco supplied.

"How much of a secret?" Yang asked.

"Probably about as much of a secret as Six's face." Coco said, looking at my helmet "Do you _ever_ take that thing off?"

"No, he doesn't." Ruby said flatly.

"Far as you know anyway." I said, maybe a bit smugly.

I finished cleaning the cylinder and gave it a spin. I hadn't been as worried about That Gun needing to be cleaned, but figured if I was going to be doing it anyway, might as well not neglect it.

"… can I see it?" Ruby asked

"… excuse me?"

"You're gun" Ruby clarified, pointing at That Gun in my hand "Can I see it?"

"… don't see why not." I shrugged.

I clasped the cylinder shut and That Gun made its telltale whine, signaling it was ready to fire. I passed it off to Ruby and her eyes practically lit up. "It's heavy."

"Has to be to help handle the recoil."

Ruby turned it over in her hands, carefully inspecting the hunk of heavily machined metal. She focused in on the cylinder and arm. She ran a few fingers across them, likely noticing the extra material housing the actuators.

"Does it have a manual override for when you're reloading?" Ruby asked

"Wouldn't be much good if it didn't." I answered "Generally though, it works fast enough to not be a problem."

"What kind of cartridge does it fire?"

"5.56 x 45 millimeter" I said

Ruby looked at me wide eyed.

"… or .223 caliber, if you'd rather."

"That's a rifle cartridge!" Velvet proclaimed, perhaps slightly amazed.

"Technically it's more of a carbine round, but same principle really."

"But isn't that a rimless cartridge?" Ruby asked, turning the gun over in her hands "How would you hold or load it into the cylinder?"

"That's where the actuator comes in." I answered "It's got a locking mechanism built into it as well-"

As if on cue, Ruby pushed the cylinder latch again and the mechanism repeated it's discharging action. Once it was finished, Ruby held it up to the light and peered through the empty cylinders.

"Oh yeah~" Ruby said, a weird smile on her face.

'uh… ignoring that.'

The cylinder automatically snapped shut with a whine, catching Ruby off guard. She groaned in displeasure and lowered the weapon back to the workbench.

"Why would you use a rifle cartridge though?" Velvet asked, working her way around the bench "You wouldn't get the maximum acceleration out of it."

"Excellent question." I said "The answer: five-five-six is fairly common ammunition to find, and even if the short barrel doesn't make full use of the fuel, even the lightest loaded ones fly faster than most standard handgun rounds."

Ruby finally noticed the receiver lever on the opposite side of the cylinder. She worked her fingers around it and nimbly worked the cover out of place. It actually put a smile on my face seeing someone work on it. People in the Mojave were typically decent at maintaining weapons but it was rare to find someone who didn't make repairs solely by smacking things with blunt objects.

It was also rare to meet people who were so refined in the understanding of weapons that they could recognize what something was for right off the bat.

The cover of the receiver slid off easily and I could have sworn Ruby and Velvet's jaws hit the floor.

"A two stage blowback manifold~" Ruby said with barely contained glee

"Good eye." I said "Most people who see it have no idea what it is or does."

"If I had to guess-" Velvet said, a finger carefully touching the receiver's innards "- it captures the excess fuel and uses it to reset the hammer, but… there's something different about it."

"You're not too far off." I said, moving onto the sequoia "While it does reset the hammer, the excess force is also used to ease the pressure on the cylinder. Making for faster rotation and quicker follow up."

"Sooo cool~" Ruby said softly.

"Why make it a revolver then?" Coco asked "I might not as be up to snuff as Velvet, but wouldn't it make more sense at that point just to make a semi-automatic pistol with a box magazine or something?"

"Well… yes and no." I said, swinging out the sequoia's cylinder "While it would make more sense in some regard, trying to fit a five-five-six magazine into a pistol isn't practical. They're too long to fit into a hand grip, and placing it too far forward or backward would make it cumbersome. Also, I technically didn't make it."

"You didn't make it?" Velvet parroted

"Nope. I've modified, maintained, and repaired it, but I wasn't the one who designed or built it."

"Why not?"

"Because I'd never have thought to try and hack a rifle down into a revolver. From what I gather, that design's been around the area I'm from for something close to a century too. Though they're still rare to find."

'Lest you count those cheap knock-offs the Gun Runners try to pawn off on people. The fuck they think they're doing, covering the chrome with black.'

"… What about that one?" Velvet asked, pointing to the sequoia "Did you make that?"

"Nope, didn't make this one either." I said, running a wired brush down the rifling "None of the weapons I carry were made by me, they're just ones I picked up along the way and tweaked to either work more effectively or suit me better."

"I… suppose that's more efficient… but why not make a weapon that suits you?"

"Because it's hard to make something that can fit any role, and once you start removing choices _everything_ gets harder. So instead, I just carry a bunch of different weapons with me and play it by ear. Dunno if it makes much sense, but it's what I do."

"N-no, I think I can understand." Velvet said.

I finished cleaning the rifling and gave the cylinder a spin. It moved freely and smooth as glass. I thumbed the hammer back and forth a few times to check the mechanism, all seemed in order there.

"Does it have a name?" Ruby asked

"What?" I asked in turn

"This gun" She said, closing the upper receiver "I know you said you didn't make it, but does it have a name?"

"… Y'know, that's honestly a good question. Most everyone I know just calls it 'That Gun'. I've never actually heard a name for it."

"Guess Ruby wasn't too far off then" Yang said with a small smirk.

"What about that one?" Ruby asked, stepping over to the bench and setting the gun down. She began eyeing the sequoia as I held it in my hands.

"'s called a Ranger's Sequoia, I think it's supposed to be named after a large tree."

"Why does it say 'Twenty Year's Service' on the barrel?" Velvet asked

I looked at the rabbit eared faunus for a second, then back to the barrel of the revolver. I'd honestly forgotten that was engraved on the barrel. Not good.

"Uh… well, it's something of an award/commemorative piece." I explained "Given to rangers of my area who provide twenty years' service or more."

"What's a ranger?" Ruby asked

"Uh, something of a local term for 'hunter'"

Velvet tilted her head "Seems an odd gift to give a hunter."

"Well, it's not like they were expected to _use_ it-"

"Where'd you get it?" Ruby asked.

"Hmm?"

"You said it's an award, how'd you get it?"

"Uh- well- a friend gave it to me-"

"What friend?"

" _A_ friend-"

"Were they a girl?"

"I don't see-"

"What's their name?"

"Ruby-"

"Were they a blue giant?"

"Were they what!?"

"What caliber is this?" Velvet asked, scrutinizing the sequoia "It looks huge."

"d-uh… .45-70"

"I've never heard of that."

"It's kind of an antiquated round." I said, quickly trying to change the conversation to something I could keep up with "the .45 denotes the caliber, while the 70 is the measure of powder in the cartridge."

"Pow… der?"

I gave Velvet a look as my brain tried to process. "… oh, you probably don't know what gunpowder is, right."

"Gun-what?" Ruby asked

"Gunpowder" I said "It's a mixture of charcoal, potassium nitrate, and sulfur that was used to make bullets at one point."

"I've… never heard of it."

"Not surprising, it doesn't seem very common around here."

For once, I actually did some research. Following our little escapade at the docks I figured it was time I tried to get a better understanding of dust. Or rather 'Dust' since there was a distinction between the two. 'Dust', whatever it was, apparently was some naturally occurring mineral the dotted Remnant like sedimentary acne. It came in a variety of colors, was ridiculously volatile, and otherwise unknown in origin.

It also caused a variety of 'elemental' effects, like lighting shit on fire or encasing it in Ice.

Just because you don't call something magic, doesn't mean it isn't.

But, if I had to compare it to something from the pre-war world, it's basically the plutonium and uranium of this world, albeit, nowhere near as immediately dangerous. It powers everything; cars, cities, homes- literally everything.

It was also used in bullet cartridges in place of, you guessed it, gunpowder.

I only found a footnote in one or two books that mentioned gunpowder even existed here. But it was phased out so long ago no one even knows it existed. Some notes suggest that, as an explosive force, it was close to three times the strength of dust, meaning it was _clearly_ the better choice for the job. Shocker. But Dust's more readily usable nature meant less effort needed to be put into producing bullets, it was just more economic. Compare that to the numerous processes needed to make Gunpowder, plus the unsanitary origins of saltpeter, and it was a no brainer why gunpowder all but disappeared.

"It's basically an old accelerant from back before Dust was widely adopted." I explained "It's fairly common back home, so we use it in our bullets."

"Cool, I'd never heard of it before." Ruby admitted.

"Well now you do."

"So this gun" Velvet continued, eyeing the sequoia "it doesn't use dust?"

"None of my guns do." I clarify "But that's not to say they can't. I could probably make some cartridges that have dust in them, but I'd have to test pressure tolerances and combustion rates. Otherwise I'd be turning my guns into hand grenades."

"… I don't get it then." Yang said, pointing to the sequoia "If That Gun doesn't use dust and doesn't transform, what's so special about it?"

"First off, This is the 'Ranger Sequoia', Yang. Second-" I picked up the gun and turned the cylinder towards her " _Look_ at the size of the bullets this thing fires, do you have _any_ idea how hard something this size hits?"

"Probably not as hard as me." Yang said challengingly

"Psh, please, I'll get more yang for my buck using one of these than having you punch something."

At first Yang looked insulted, then she realized something and just started smiling at me smugly.

"… What?" I asked.

"You'll figure it out."

"… aw _dammit_."

'And the corruption continues.'

"-Screw it, I don't think I can focus on this anymore." I said, packing up the my guns and tools

"Aw, don't be like that" Yang said "I'm just having fun."

"Yeah, well, take it out on someone else. Got enough to deal with without worrying about you tricking me into your pungeon games."

"Pungeon games?"

"…" I let out a heavy sigh "I need a drink."

Ruby pointed towards the door "There's a water fountain-"

"I meant _alcohol_ Ruby." I growled, perhaps a bit too harshly.

"You drink?" Coco asked.

'Frequently and heavily.'

"Only sometimes." I grumbled "Really starting to feel a need right about now though."

"hmm… Well~" Coco said "I might have a way to-"

"I know a place that'll serve us." Yang interrupted.

My head snapped towards Yang so fast I swear I heard my neck crack. "You do?"

"Yup~" Yang smiled playfully "A club in the shady part of Vale. They'll serve… if you don't mind a little danger."

'I think you mean entertainment.'

"Yang~" Ruby whined.

"Oh relax, baby sis." Yang said, smiling warmly "We can't exactly leave campus right now anyway, So me and Six couldn't just take off and party all night anyway."

That seemed to settle Ruby a little, knowing her sister and me couldn't take off right this second and get drunk but, for me, it suddenly made me very focused on our punishment. I very much wanted- _needed_ a loophole. After all the things I had going on in the background, I finally had alcohol within my grasp. No more waiting, I wasn't about to let it slip away.

So I found a loophole.

"How about Sunday?" I asked.

"Huh?" Yang said, looking away from her sister and back to me, curious.

"Our 'punishment' only lasts until Sunday at dusk, remember?"

"… Oh, hey, you're right! Heck yea!"

"I'm down to drink Sunday night… but how would we get to Vale?" I asked, rubbing the chin of my mask "I'm pretty sure the airships stop running before then."

"I'll handle that" Yang said smirking "A girl's got her secrets."

"Well then, drinks Sunday evening?"

"Sounds good to me." Yang said with a grin.

Ruby gave me and Yang a pouty look. Something a cross between disappointment and disapproval. I don't know what she had against alcohol, but I wasn't going to judge.

"… So I guess you've got a date then, Yang." Ruby said pointedly, a small smirk crossing her face.

"Aw, baby sis~" Yang said, going to hug Ruby "Don't be upset, you'll understand when you're older."

'… can I get some payback here?... maybe-'

"So I guess this _is_ a date then." I said

Both Ruby and Yang's eyes popped open, but only Yang seemed to lose her chipper tone. Ruby's smirk, instead, grew three sizes at once.

"Whaaaat~" Yang said, suddenly floundering "No, c'mon Six, we're friends- this isn't a date-"

"*gasp* Yang! Don't be so mean!" Ruby said "You'll hurt his feelings!"

"But- but it's not-"

"Ah!" I gasped "My heart, it can't take the pain of rejection!"

I snuck a glance at Yang. She wasn't flustered, but she was certainly confused. I'd take it over nothing.

"But- but-" Yang stuttered.

"Ah! I must away, before my heart beats in agony no-more! Fair well, Ruby! You've always been a good friend!"

"Six!" Ruby cried "NO!"

I tucked my guns under my arm and made a break for the exit, back of my left hand placed against my forehead in mock dismay. I didn't stop running until I was out of the classroom, three turns and several hallways away. At which point, I leaned against a wall and laughed my ass off.

"Ha ha, eat your heart out Shakespeare!"

I pushed off the wall and continued onward toward the chemistry lab. It was time to get back to work.

...

Finally alone once more in the workshop, Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina allowed the newfound silence to pervade the air for a moment. digesting the entire exchange that had just transpired.

"… Coco" Velvet asked, softly, cautiously "What just happened?"

"… I believe-" Coco said, a sinister gleam on her sunglasses "-a 'rival' has just appeared."

* * *

 **And here we are once more, now with rabbits. I'd been waiting to do this one for a while, been looking for the right time to bring Velvet and Coco back into the mix and to properly address dust. So yea, that's done.**

 **'Gundam-Knight-Chris': I might do that at some point, have him shave Weiss bald while I'm at it, then she'd be shaved weiss (HA!)**

 **'Linkskingsolomon': And I will forever remember you as comment number 420, you have my sincerest congratulations**

 **'Unlucky-Fausto': I think that was one of those things where I was trying to come across as having a deeper meaning than it should have, but I honestly have no idea**

 **'Four Elemental': Careful there bud, you're cutting it close. Such shear boldness is enough to get the firing squad to come clip you.**

 **'Guest(1)': Does this count?**

 **'Four Elemental(again)':... did you and Guest plan this?**

 **'Ylnadiir': If I had Six running around being right about everything, there'd be no story and he'd just be an asshole. As for 'fixing' RWBY, I find the concept stupid. Are there things that could have been handled better? Yes. Do I think that I'm the person who should 'fix' them? No. Do I think that I should try a different approach and see if I can help alleviate some of those issues? Yeah, kind of. I'm not looking to 'fix' things, because I believe they're happening with some intentions in mind and I'd be remiss to assume outright that I can do better than the showrunners. I'll make changes where I need to, and do my part to make sure this story is the best it can be. But I'm not going to be the one to say it's better than the works its based on just because I 'fixed' things. On that note, if I ever do start claiming that, somebody please refer me to this review.**

 **Alright, that's enough rambling for now. This fanfic was brought to you by Salty Pete's Munitions: No relation to the pumpkin people.**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**

 **Beta Reader Here: Ash got this to me on Sunday, the near-week long delay is on me. Between work and family I wasn't able to spend as much time on this on Monday as I wanted, and little-to-none on Wednesday, so here we are on Friday. Ah well, end of the week pick-me-up, right?**


	24. Dreaming in the Chibi (April Fools 2019)

*special thanks to Mecharic for Beta-ing*

I awoke to a familiar sensation. In place of the rough canvas that normally comprised my cot, I felt the soft resistance of fabric. Backed by springs that creaked and squealed at the slightest provocation. I was covered by musty blanket, smelling as though they hadn't been washed in a few centuries. Instead of the dark, close dankness of my closet, I was greeted with a more open room. The ceiling was painted a creamy, off-white, and sported small chandeliers for lighting. The walls were coated in ancient brown wall paper, dirtied with dust and age. The floor was covered in equally old carpeting, a drab green and speckled white that'd seen better days as well. The room was furnished in fairly lush fashion with a pair of sofas and a table sat off to one corner and desk with a terminal and several cabinets in the opposite. Along the rest of the walls in the room dressers, wardrobes, and trunks populated the room.

Not believing my eyes, I sat up slowly in the bed. I turned slowly, looking around the room as I did so. My movements felt sluggish, almost like I was pushing against some viscous material. But even as I struggled to move, I knew exactly where I was. I'd spent so many months here that it'd be impossible to forget.

I was in the presidential suite of the Lucky 38.

I was home.

"H-how did I-" I stammered, trying to piece things together. My brain wasn't responding, for some reason as slowed and congealed as the rest of me.

I had no idea how I'd gotten here. My memory was … fuzzy. Nothing wanted to pull together right. Something wasn't right, but I couldn't tell what.

I swung my legs to the edge of the bed and sat there for a second, fighting for stability. Each movement felt uneasy and if I moved to quickly I felt as though I'd start falling.

But once I'd set myself on the edge of the bed, I noticed another thing out of the ordinary.

I was bigger.

My legs were longer and thicker than they had been. My chest a bit wider and my shoulders more broad. My arms were thicker than they had been. Every visible inch of skin was given a fair frosting of hair. I looked over my hands for a moment, assessing what I was seeing. Then I raised one to my throat and gave a rough cough. The gesture elicited a deep, rasping noise. Almost as deep as I remembered.

I was back to normal. I wasn't a teenager anymore, I was a full-grown man again, chest hair and all.

I was also pretty much naked. Stripped down to my underwear. It took me a second to register that this included my helmet.

Even as I began to take stock of myself though, my head began pounding. My train of thought slowed closer to a crawl and my ability to question was becoming less and less tenable. Nothing was making sense. Last thing I remembered was lying down in my closet. Now I was waking up in the master bedroom of the 38.

Then a thought struck me. I turned and looked over my shoulder at the bed.

The bed was empty. Undisturbed except for where I'd been laying.

Cass was gone.

I felt like I couldn't breathe and my heart lurched into my throat. The current situation had just jumped from confusing to terrifying. I didn't know how I'd gotten back here, or how I'd gotten back to normal, but I could wait on those answers. Cass was my priority now.

I lurched up from the bed, stumbling to my feet. The world felt off kilter, every step uneasy and threatening. Whether that was a result of being back to normal, or something else, I had no clue. I used the various bits of furniture and walls for support, working my way towards the bedroom's entrance.

The common area of the suite was devoid of life. None of my companions were anywhere to be seen. Despite that though, I couldn't shake the feeling I wasn't alone. Like someone was watching me. In the background, I could hear radio New Vegas playing. It sounded like Sinatra, singing about how something's gotta give. But it wasn't clear where the music was coming from. I couldn't pick out any specific place. The sounds of music were drifting through the air listlessly and unfounded.

I took a few breaths, steadying myself so I could stop using the wall for support. That's when I noticed the smell in the air. To the untrained, it would be a putrid odor. It would reek of rancid fruit and sulfur, like someone had bottled rotten fruit and placed it in the sun for several days. Containing only trace notes of fermentation, beneath layers of nose curling musk.

To me, it smelled like mash ready to be distilled. Me and Cass had made moonshine enough times that the smell was easily recognizable to me, if a bit off-putting. The smell of fission battery laced moldy fruit was something you'd never get used to. Probably for good reason too.

It was hard to really pin down where it was coming from either. But the only logical place that came to mind was the kitchen to the left of master bedroom and across from the rec room.

Almost as if by magic, once I focused in on that thought, the smell concentrated, almost certainly coming from the kitchen. I half hobbled-slash-stumbled my way out of the bedroom's door way and across the foyer to the kitchen, the smells of sulfur and fruit growing stronger and hotter as I got closer.

I leaned in the entryway of the kitchen for support, and stopped dead in my tracks.

Cass was standing in front of one of the kitchen stoves. A large pot was on one of the burners and a series of pipes and tubes leading out of it. A slapdash still I'd helped her put together some time ago. The pipes leading down a short distance to a condenser, before collecting into whatever bottles and jars Cass had collected. She was turned away from me and towards the stove, dressed mostly how she normally had been, but she'd removed her coat, leaving her pink and white flannel shirt exposed. Her hat was also missing, and she'd let her hair down. Vibrantly red tresses covering what I knew was pale skin. She knelt slightly, tweaking the burners of the stove, keeping the heat right.

My breathing became labored and my blood went cold. Cass was standing in front of me, as though nothing had ever happened. I could feel a lump forming in my throat. My eyes began to sting, either from the acrid gases in the air or because of tears.

"C… Cass?" I asked, voice soft.

Cass stopped moving, save for a small twitch of her head as it turned towards me slightly. Her face still obscured by her hair.

The music disappeared from the background. As if the world had chosen that moment to fade away, to leave me and Cass to our devices. She turned the rest of the way to face me.

"What's up… Boss?" A raspy voice answered

And the world came crashing back in.

Cass turned to face me and all sense disappeared. Her face was melting, skin peeling away to reveal tendon and bone. Her nose had fallen off, leaving a messy triangular hole in the center of her face. Her eyes were pale and milky, covered in cataracts and reflective as glass. Just above her upper lip, sat a neatly trimmed, pencil moustache.

Someone had hacked off Raul's face and stitched it Cass's head.

"What the f-" I stepped backward, almost losing my balance as my foot landing on something that wasn't the floor.

"Ow!" An old voice exclaimed

I gripped the edge of the wall and caught my balance. I looked down behind me and saw what I had stepped on.

Beneath one of my feet, ED-E sat on the floor, tumbling and rolling in place, completely defying physics.

"ED-E?" I asked

"Yea, six, it's me." ED-E answered, his voice sounding like Mr. New Vegas' "Do you mind watching where you step?"

With that, physics kicked in around him again and he rolled into the Rec Room, turning around a corner and disappearing with a beep.

Before I even had time to register that though, there was a *ding* as the elevator door opened. I watched as Boone's upper torso walked out of the elevator. Not in a particularly gory fashion, he was walking as though his feet were visible and connecting to the floor. Instead, the only thing touching the ground was his torso, as if he'd phased into the ground somehow.

"Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter." He said, in a voice most definitely not his own.

The next person out of the elevator was Veronica. She walked out, perfectly calm and fine despite the fact that her arms and legs had been stretched and elongated into shapes that shouldn't have been capable of supporting any weight. They were bent and broken at just the right angles, so despite how impossibly long they were, they still connected back to hands and feet. She turned and walked off towards the guest room.

Arcade followed her out of the elevator. Completely fine except for his head being completely backwards.

The last thing to come from the elevator before it closed was a doggy whine. Then there was a bloody explosion and Rex's head flew from the elevator door as it shut, landing squarely on the pillows of the master bed.

Then the walls started melting.

"Are you ok boss?" Raul asked again

I turned back towards the kitchen and found Raul-Cass face to face with me. I felt my balance begin to fail me and I slipped backwards.

"You don't l-loo-ook so good-ood-ood-od-ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd-"

Without any warning, everything vanished and I was falling. The Lucky 38, my companions, the whole of Vegas. It had vanished, replaced by a flat, bare, and sandy desert that I was now plummeting towards. There were no sounds, even as I raced towards the hard ground. No wind in my ears, no screams despite the feeling in my throat, no nothing. My fall was silent.

As I fell, The world began to return. I could see buildings and streets slowly coming back into being, as though being pulled from a fog.

They were all burning.

The ground loomed closer, and I watched it grow more clear. With the ground, there were two Yao Guai running towards each other. not in the traditional four legged fashion that they should've been though. They were racing on their hind legs, running at an upright and jaunty pace that they shouldn't have been capable of.

The two bears collided into a high-five.

I hit the ground.

…

"Courier Six!" Oobleck shouted

"Aah!" I screamed in manly fashion

A cold sweat frosted me. My vision was blurred and my heart raced as I tried to figure out what was going on.

I registered that I was in a classroom first, one of the lecture halls. But everything about it felt wrong still. Too large to be right. I was seated at one of the large desk-tables that ringed the room.

Professor Oobleck was standing in front of me just beyond the desk.

He was also a midget with an oversized head.

'… Oh you've _got_ to be fucking with me now.'

"I understand that you and Ms. Rose find Saturday detention boring." Oobleck spouted rapidly "But perhaps you should've thought about that before skipping class."

I looked to my right and saw Ruby moping in a seat next to me, a pout on her face as she flicked a pencil back and forth across the table.

She was _also_ a midget with an oversized head.

A feeling of remembrance washed over me as began to recollect the world around me. I looked down at my hands. They were pudgier and smaller than they had been in the dream.

As was the rest of me.

My heart beat slowed down as my fear condensed into indignant rage.

"WHY AM I A MIDGET AGAIN!?"

* * *

 **Moral of the story kids: Don't eat the brown acid.**

 **Happy April 1st, see you in a few weeks**

 **-Ash**


	25. Intermission 6: Ghost in the Stories

The fiend-grunt escorting me barely made a peep before I jammed the electrode of my cattle prod into the back of their neck. The second before his buddy could react either, Cass flipped her double barrel around and cracked him upside the head with its stock. It didn't knock him out immediately, but he hit the ground, and Cass slammed him in the face again. That time, he's was out like a light.

"Subtle." Cass said, oozing sarcasm " _Real_ subtle."

"Ah, shut up." I answered back "It was either this or shoot our way in, would you rather me trying to pull lead out of you later?"

Me and Cass had finished Contreras' business in short order. After getting what we'd needed from the Gun Runners, he'd asked us to take care of some business with the Crimson Caravan. Part of me was glad Boyd had wanted us to look deeper. Contreras had fingers in just about every pie, and the moment he went off the radar, someone was liable to step in and fill the void.

It took a meeting with an undercover guy by the name of Keller in Westside to tell us we knew enough for me and Cass to take what we knew and show it to Boyd. We helped her secure Contreras when he resisted, and even got the pleasure of _literally_ throwing him into a cell. After that, Boyd told us it was likely someone was going to wind up replacing Contreras eventually, but the work we'd put in had put some air back into the vacuum, and it'd be a while before things had gotten back to the degree they had. She couldn't officially thank us, given circumstance, but had been kind enough to slip us some gear as thanks. Probably the biggest bonuses being the Cattle prod I'd just used, and an old battle rifle from the armory. It might've been pre-war, given some 'patriot' had carved ' _Well this machine kills commies_ ' into the side of the stock. Given its fairly good condition though, it was hard to say. The sight was broken in a way I couldn't seem to fix though, my shots always seemed to hang to the right of where I was aiming. No amount of adjusting fixed it either, which was annoying. So much for shooting straight.

After all was said and done though, Boyd asked us to take a look at a slightly less pertinent matter. Namely that a ranger hadn't reported in, one by the name of Bryce Anders. The colonel had sent him on a mission to take the head off the fiends' leader, whether he was being figurative or literal, I had no clue. Bryce had missed his check-in and while the colonel was willing to trust a ranger to look out for themselves, Boyd seemed to have some interest in the matter. She made it a personal request that we go find out what was going on, whether that meant finding him or bringing back his tags.

So simple enough job, charge head long into fiend territory and find someone who may or may not be dead. No pressure at all.

The intelligence Boyd gave us said that the fiends had camped out in one of the local Vaults, Number 3, and were using it as their major base of operations. They were also skull-fuckingly insane, and as close to rabid as you can be without actually having the disease. Me, Cass, Boone, Raul, Veronica- hell- all of my companions had run-ins with them at least once by this point. They always charged us, the moment we got in their sights. Scary part is, they were also the only faction I'd seen so far to have regular access to energy weapons. Not that they were any good with them, but they had plenty of them apparently. But nearly no armor to speak of, despite how it was ubiquitous to almost everyone else.

I can recount at least two instances where a fiend charged me in their birthday suit with nothing but a laser RCW and a half empty syrette of med-x.

Intelligence clearly wasn't their strong suit.

So, it only came as a _small_ surprise when I managed to get into Vault 3 without killing anyone. All I'd had to do was tell the guys at the gate that I was carrying, and they let me and Cass in with an escort. Don't know if that was points towards them for civility, or more against them for intelligence. They didn't bother checking I actually _had_ anything.

Once we were about halfway down, I'd noticed a side hallway with one or two dead fiends down it. While I didn't put it past the fiends to kill each other, I'd figured they would do it by stabbing or shooting each other, not leaving mines around for each other and then leaving the body to rot in the open. Or maybe they would, since they didn't seem to give much of a fuck that there _were_ bodies lying around.

Which brought us back to now.

Cass mumbled something under her breath in response to my question.

"What was that?" I asked

"Nothing." She sighed "You think he's down this way?"

"Probably." I said, carefully maneuvering down the hall with the dead fiends. "Or maybe we're walking into some kind of extra weird part of the vault."

The small hall had some blood on the walls the further down we went, leading to a closed door. I looked back as I opened the door making sure nobody had noticed as Cass dragged one of the bodies behind us. Probably not necessary, but at least she was being cautious. The door made a hydraulic hiss as it slid downward.

"Alright, odds are he-"

"Shit- stop!"

Before I took a step into the doorway, Cass dropped the body and put a hand on my shoulder. Pulling me back from the doorway. I stumbled a bit as she did, but quickly caught my balance. So at least I avoided falling on my ass.

I gave Cass an annoyed glance and looked at the door. It only took me a second longer to notice the bouquet of grenades dangling just over the opposite side of the door frame. That and the string running across the floor beneath it.

"… Ah." I said "I see."

"Hmm." Cass said, giving me a smug smirk. "Gee, I wonder what killed the fiends."

"Hrm, yea, real riddle for the ages, that."

I bent over and started working on disarming the booby trap.

"Shouldn't take much to-"

"Hey!" A new, gravelly voice called "What the hell is going on over there!?"

'SHIT!'

I snapped upright in time to see another fiend approaching us from the adjacent hallway. Despite the voice, it was actually a woman. Easy enough to tell since she didn't have a shirt on except for this leather bra that some of the fiends apparently considered the pinnacle of fashion.

She had a laser RCW in her hands and pointed it at me and Cass. She looked twitchy, and was probably either tweaked out on something or hadn't gotten a fix recently. Either way, not good if we made a wrong move.

And we were standing over one fiend corpse, and two potentially unconscious ones. Also not good.

"The _fuck_ is going on!?" The fiend asked, looking at the three fiends beneath us.

Cass had returned her shotgun to the holster on her back, and I doubted she could draw it in time to avoid getting shot. Which meant I was going to have to either A. Draw faster than light, or B. convince the addled psycho not to shoot. No big deal, just needed to play it cool.

"We're here for Motor-Runner-" I started to say.

Then the bitch shot my leg with a laser.

I fell to a knee as a several thousand-degree bolt of light seared through my reinforced leather armor and blasted my upper thigh.

"AGH, YOU CRAZY BITCH!"

"I didn't say you could speak, meat!" The fiend snarled "Now what happened here, answer me!"

I stayed silent. I could see Cass wanted to help, but wasn't sure whether to try and draw on the fiend or reach down and help me.

"…Answer me!" the fiend barked again

"You shot me for that already." I snarled back "You gonna shoot me again if I do?"

She proceeded to shoot me in the shoulder, leaving another smoldering hole in my armor.

"AGH!"

"I'll keep shooting you until you answer me!"

"Ok, fine, calm down!"

That time she didn't shoot me, psychotic bitch.

"We're here on a delivery for Motor-Runner." I lied again, smooth as I could "We ran into some NCR ranger on the way down-"

"What!?" The fiend squawked angrily "I sent Manis and Leon to take care of that asshole…"

The fiend trailed off as she looked at the body of the dead fiend nearest the door.

"Wait, that _is_ Manis." She said, closing the distance between and past us. "What the f-"

I heard the string holding up the grenades snap with the extra tension her foot introduced. Followed by a metallic clatter as the grenades hit the floor.

"Watch out!" Cass shouted, grabbing my burned shoulder.

There's always a long dread when someone throws grenades at me. They've got a deceptively long fuse, and unless you account for them, your target will be out of the immediate blast radius before the maximum damage can be inflicted. As long as I'm moving, I can avoid getting blown to pieces. But until it goes off, I don't know if I'm safe.

For once, the fuse was as much a blessing as a curse. Cass hauled me around a corner in time to avoid the blast, and I watched as bloody chunks flew down the adjacent corridor. The trio of grenades gave an earsplitting boom, cracking like thunder in the closed space. We both sat curled against the wall, waiting for the ringing to subside. I was a little jittery now, adrenaline pumping through me.

"Ho-lee shit~" Cass wheezed "That was a little too close."

"Psh, what're you talking about." I said, a little unsteady "That's not even in the top five close calls we've had."

She gave a weak laugh, then looked at the new holes I'd acquired. "You ok?"

I looked at my shoulder and leg, prodding them with a finger "… not too deep. Leather must of ate most of the beam before it hit me."

I pulled out a stimpack and stuck myself with it. The pain faded pretty quick, and a minute or two later the holes filled in with only minimal scarring.

Gotta love pre-war science.

Wasn't happy wasting one, but better to use it here than let it wait until I was in danger. Not so much free room to stick myself when I'm getting shot.

"How's it look?" I asked Cass

She leaned around the corner and looked. "… well, she won't be a problem anymore."

I hobbled up off the floor and around the corner. All four fiends, living or dead, had been reduced to bloody chunks littering the floor and coating the walls. The Laser RCW was at the far end of the corridor, laying broken on the floor.

"… I guess, that's one way to do it." I said, offering Cass a hand up. "Let's keep an eye open, right?"

"… Right."

We quickly collected ourselves and maneuvered past the newly minted mess. Odds were that, if any of the fiends gave a damn, they'd heard the explosion. Last thing we wanted was to be caught anywhere near there if they showed up.

The hallway leading away from the door turned up to a flight of stairs, the wall stained with blood and marked with the signs of a struggle. Another dead fiend lay on the stairs a little further ahead. From the look of him, somebody had shanked him good. They'd also used him to conceal a landmine. Thankfully Cass and I were more observant this time around, so it wasn't an issue. I disarmed the mine and we made our way up the stairs. They lead to a 'rec. room', that was sealed off with a locked door. Given what we'd just experience, we had a pretty good idea why. It took me a minute or two to pick the lock and open the door.

When I did, I was staring down the barrel of a gun.

Seated on the floor and leaned against a massive computer mainframe, was a sole man. He wore the patrol armor of an NCR ranger. Not a veteran, but the full tactical plate I'd seen on guys like Ranger Andy in Novac. Stiff plates of some poly-steel-composite crap painted in tones of beige, brown, and piss. A crumpled ranger's hat rested on his head, complementing the armor. He had a wide face and doughy features. The bare dustings of a thin moustache and soul patch. One of his eyes was wandering a bit, whether that was a natural thing or a product of exhaustion I wasn't readily able to discern.

Granted, having someone point a 9mm handgun at you for opening a door gave reason to focus elsewhere.

"Knew those grenades weren't enough." The Ranger growled, his voice thread. "Would've thought the mine would get you though."

"You Bryce Anders?" I asked, carefully, not wanting to get shot.

"Depends on who's asking."

"A friend, judging by the fact that you're clearly not a fiend."

The ranger I assumed to be Bryce looked at me for a second. He blinked, his eyelids staggered and slow. His gun arm dipped downward a little with effort, but raised back up as he focused.

"Again, who are you?"

"Courier Six." I answered, motioning back to Cass "This is Cass, we were sent to come find you after you missed your check-in."

Bryce gave a weak laugh "Bullshit, the colonel doesn't have the manpower to worry about rangers."

"You're right, which is why Lieutenant Boyd asked a favor of me."

"Carrie sent you?" Bryce asked, his voice giving a slight, hopeful rise. He realized it though, and backpedaled "I-I mean… shit."

"It's alright Anders, we're on the level." Cass encouraged "You can put the gun down."

He kept it aimed at us for a moment longer. "… Tsk, it's not even loaded anyway." Then set the gun down limply.

No longer worried about getting shot, Cass and me hurried into the room. I shut and locked the door behind us. Just an added precaution, in case the fiends came calling for their friends. I turned and gave Bryce my undivided attention. Cass was kneeling front of him, and I could see why. He'd hidden it when we came in, but his right leg was a bloodstained mess, even with the armor covering it.

"Ah crap." I groaned, kneeling beside him

I got a better look at Bryce's face. He was clammy, and I could see the sweat coating him like morning dew. His jaw was permanently pulled tight and his breathing was shallow.

"'s not as bad as it looks." He said, breathless

Rather than state the obvious, I got to work looking him over. I didn't know a whole lot about medicine at the time, but I knew enough. Bryce had an improvised tourniquet on his leg, and the blood had dried his pant leg to the skin.

"Managed to get a dozen of 'em on the way in." Bryce said weakly "Then one of 'em got the drop on me. Fucker shot me in the leg with that gun."

"You got fifteen actually" I said, distracting him "That bouquet you left killed two fiends we'd knocked out on the way in, plus a third that tried to hold us up."

"Ha!" Bryce laughed, just as thread and pained as everything else "Promised Morales I'd beat his record. Just… just a few more…"

"Ok, I gotta take the pant leg off, this gonna hurt."

"You gotta what?"

Cass Held his leg down as I ripped the bloody pant-leg back. He howled in pain and tried to lash his legs out in instinctual retaliation. Cass kept a good grip though, he avoided causing too much trouble. Though I thought I saw him kick Cass in the boob.

"Christ on a cracker!" Bryce hissed

"Hold still, unless you want to bleed to death."

Whether out of self-preservation, or lack of energy, Bryce complied, and his legs hit the floor. I took the opportunity to begin cleaning and dressing the wound.

The smell was the first thing to hit me. Even through my motorcycle helmet, the sickening stench of infection was easily recognizable. A hideous cross of fermentation and rot.

" _Shit_ " Cass hissed "That reeks."

"Hmm" Bryce hummed "You tune it out after a while."

The bullet wound was surrounded by puffy, enflamed tissue. The wound itself had a small scab over it, hardly as thick as an eggshell. I could see the yellow underneath it, some of it was oozing it from my sudden removal of his pant leg. I had a clue about what to do next, but whether it was a good idea or not was a different matter.

"Ok" I said "Suffice to say, your wound is infected."

"No shit." Bryce answered softly "What's the prognosis doc?"

"Keep talking like that and you'll wish the wound is what killed you."

Bryce sobered up quickly at that.

"… Given your symptoms, you're probably an hour or two shy of it turning septic. I've got a doctors bag, and can clean the wound to the best of my ability. But you're going to need to make a hard choice."

"What's that?"

"Option 1: You turn tail and head back to McCarran, visit the onsite doctor, receive proper treatment, and, if the doctor is good enough, keep the leg. Or-"

"I'm not leaving." Bryce said, voice still thread but clearly resolute.

"Option 2." I said, only slightly annoyed at his interruption "You push forward, run the risk of being slowed down by your injury, and either die from it, a fiend, or succeed in your mission and then promptly die from septic shock."

Bryce just looked at me impassively.

"… Are you dense?" I asked "You push forward, you're going to drop dead. Not _might_ drop dead, _will_. Anders, I'm not someone qualified to give people life advice, but there are less painful ways to commit suicide."

"Maybe." Bryce said "But I've got to. Rangers don't leave jobs half done. Especially not one like this, I've lost too many friends because of these assholes. Motor-Runner's the only fiend here with two brain-cells to rub together, and he puts them to use. We don't take care of them, we're going to keep losing guys to their shit."

"Taking out this 'Motor-Runner' won't change that." I spat back. "Even if they're down a leader, they'll still keep trying to kill people."

"They do worse than that. They do a _lot_ worse than that. I've seen some of the people around McCarran that've had run-ins with the Fiends and survived… Maybe killing Motor-Runner won't stop them, but once he's out of the picture, they won't be as organized. It'll be easier to fight them when they're as unprepared as we are half the time."

"But you might not even _kill_ him Anders! That's what I'm saying. You're one light breeze from falling into a grave right now. If you go through with this, odds are you won't even make it _to_ Motor-Runner."

"… I know… But I have to try."

I stared at Anders. He was half delirious at this point. He had to be to think this was going to work. I could understand his reasoning. I got why he _needed_ to do this. But that didn't change he wasn't going to be able to. He'd be dead before he even got down the stairs. He didn't seem like a bad sort, and he probably thought he was doing the right thing. But that didn't change the fact that he was throwing his life away on something that wasn't going to work. Not the way he was trying to do it anyway.

'… I can't believe I'm doing this.'

"How important is it that _you_ specifically kill Motor-Runner?" I asked

Bryce blinked, then looked at me in confusion. "I just said-"

"No, I get it's important, but do _you_ have to be the triggerman?"

"Well… no-"

"Then we'll handle it." I cut him off "Meanwhile, you get your ass back to McCarran and get a doctor to look at your leg." I looked up to Cass "That good with you?"

Cass looked at me in surprise for a moment, then just gave an approving smirk.

"Don't be stupid." Bryce growled, trying to get up "This is a job for a Ranger, I can't let you put yourselves in-"

Before he got all the way up, I lightly poked the tissue around his wound. He gave a small, breathless scream and hit the floor again.

"Yes, you can-" I said, calm and reassuring "-and you have to. I might not know you too well, Anders, but that doesn't mean I want your death on my conscience. Trust me, we'll get the job done."

Bryce fixed me with a hard glare, and I met it with equal measure. We held the staring match for a moment, but he conceded defeat quick enough. He didn't have the energy for it.

"Alright, alright… If you succeed, take Motor-Runner's hat to major Dhatri back at McCarran. It'll be a good enough signifier that you got the job done."

"His hat?"

"Heh, trust me, you'll understand when you see it."

"… alright, I'll take your word for it."

I began taking out the doctor's bag. Then, after a thought, pulled out a stimpack and stealth-boy. I set them next to Bryce.

"What're they for?" Bryce asked

"You." I answered "The treatment should hold you until you can get back to McCarran, but it'll hurt like hell. The stimpack will help with that. The stealthboy is just a bit of insurance to help you get out of here without getting shot."

He eyed the stealthboy warily. Those things weren't common occurrences. They were a pain in the ass to find and expensive as hell. If it weren't for the fact I'm good at moving quietly, I might have been a bit more reluctant to part with one.

"Th-thanks." Bryce said

"Don't thank me yet." I said, opening the bag. "Get back to McCarran first."

…

If I'd been any deeper into my nap than I was, I probably would've attacked Professor Peach when she nudged my foot. Not out of malice, but out of long honed instinct to protect myself when attacked in my sleep. Granted, Peach wasn't high on my list of preferred persons at the moment, but attacking her would've been a bad idea.

I felt like I'd only just set down to rest when she pulled me back. I'd been up since early this morning 'participating' in a social event I wanted no part in. I only knew it was her bugging me because, of maybe the two or three people that comprised the botany club, she was the only one crazy enough _to_ bug me. That and, you know, she's a slave driver. Not my fault she can't get anybody interested and get the work done. If she didn't have me by the balls, I wouldn't be here either.

Peach stood over me, dressed in clothing surprisingly less formal than her teaching attire. A wide brimmed, straw sun-hat sat on her head, covering her bun of hair. A worn pair of overalls and a short-sleeved shirt covering the rest of her, with a pair of well-worn leather gloves and boots protecting her hands and feet. She was dusted with dried dirt from head to toes, but didn't look uncomfortable with it. She did, however, look displeased with me.

"Mister Six" Peach said "While I can't force you to do any work, could you please refrain from sleeping in the middle of club activities?"

"Mmm… no can do." I groaned, pushing off of the tree I was laying under. "It's just such a nice day, I can't help but be lazy."

"I can understand that, but could you at least refrain from being so until _after_ the event is finished."

"Again, no can do, the sun doesn't wait for work to finish, so neither can I."

Peach gave me a dull expression, then sighed in exasperation.

"What can I say?" I asked "I'm just not a very diligent member of the club."

Peach gave me a glare"…Behaving like a smart aleck will only give me a reason to find more work for you Mister Six."

The club event that Peach had more or less dragged me into was some form of exhibition. Basically, showing off the grounds of Beacon to the people of Vale and the travelers there-in. Given that more exchange students were beginning to pour in for the festival, it made sense. What purpose it served beyond that; I had no clue. I was pretty sure no one was coming to Beacon to join up with the flower club.

Despite the fact that I was giving Peach lip, I'd been working for a fair amount of the time. She'd been bringing groups of people through and showing off the grounds and giving me instructions in the meanwhile. I hadn't needed to do much digging this time, but she had me spreading these woodchips around the plants to provide contrast and ground cover. Aside from that, she'd been having me generally doing heavy lifting while she showed off some flowers the club had bred over the past few years.

It was late in the afternoon now, the sun was getting close to the horizon and pulling the summer heat with it. About time to start wrapping things up.

"You gonna lead any more groups through?" I asked, fully upright "Or can I start putting the tools away and call it a day."

Peach glowered at me for a moment, then sighed and waved her hand dismissively. "I believe that was the last group for the day. Thank you for your effort."

"What effort?" I asked, sarcastically "I didn't do anything."

Before I gave her a chance to answer though, I was already collecting my tools and returning to the shed. Last thing I need is for her to try and trap me into more work. I'd removed the leather bits from Byz's armor, leaving me in the jeans and body suit to work in. Both were now stained with sweat, dirt, and woodchips. I wanted to get a shower, have something to eat, and relax before I collapsed.

I deposited the tools in the wooden building and locked it behind me. By then, the sun had sunk more than a quarter past the horizon. I didn't have a great deal of daylight left, so I was going to have to move quickly if I wanted to do what I had planned.

After ditching the tools, I beat feet back to my corner of the grounds. It was only a short jog to get there, so I didn't lose much time on that. What I did when I got there though was going to be the thing that would take a substantial amount of time to get done. I cleared a small area towards a back wall and built a small pit of stones. I'd stockpiled dead wood and brush from around the grounds for use on a night like to night. I took some of the brush, broke it into kindling, and mingled it with scraps of tinder. If I wasn't under a time crunch, I'd have taken the time to properly build everything. But I needed to get the fire going before it turned pitch black out. Sure, I had night vision built into my helmet, but it wasn't a substitute for natural light.

I stuck my lighter to the tinder and let it catch. Flames quickly spread through the tinder, licking the long-dried kindling fervently. I gave the new born flames a small fanning, coaxing them larger as I began to stack large pieces of wood over top of them. Large plumes of smoke began to rise from betwixt the placed logs as the fledgling flames built up heat beneath them. I was going to need the fire burn to coals before I could use it, which was going to take a while. I could cook them over the flame before then, but I'd get better results by letting it burn itself down. Regardless, this was going to be the most time intensive portion prior to cooking.

I'd gotten sick of eating cafeteria food again. Not that I'm complaining about having food, mind you, but I missed making my own. This place may have its own delicacies, but I actually missed some of the wasteland staples. Like grilled steaks, mostly without regard of what meat they were.

With the fire smoking out my garden, I made the possibly not-so-smart decision of leaving it to burn. Leaving a fire unattended was a good way to let it set _other_ things on fire. But, hopefully before that happened, I'd be to the dorms and back without issue. Just to be sure though, I moved most of the fuel away from it and built the stones up a bit more to contain it.

With that, I trotted out of my garden, across the grounds, and to the dorms. The academy was practically devoid of life now. A great deal of the students had left for the 'break', leaving me, my team, and a few others on campus. The place was almost eerily quiet without so many people in it. It gave me vibes not unlike that of the Sierra Madre in some ways. Though this place didn't have the cloud in it, it was still large buildings and corridors filled with silence and sparse lighting. If there were people around, odds are when I ran into them, they'd startle me a little. It was only in atmosphere that I was being reminded, but the presence was there all the same.

That thought sent a shiver down my spine nonetheless. Of all the places I never wanted to go back to¸ that place damn near topped the list. At least the nightmares hadn't been happening recently.

But for a reason I couldn't place, I felt as though I was being watched. Maybe it was paranoia. Maybe it wasn't. But it was a feeling I couldn't shake all the same.

I reached and entered the dorms fairly quick. After that it only took me a few minutes to climb the stairs to the second floor and get to my closet. Which had almost transformed into a sweatbox with the season. The air had been stuffy before the excess humidity and summer heat had crept in. Now it was so muggy and cloying that you couldn't quite catch a breath. In no small part to the boiler that dominated a quarter of the room. But, I was in the process of remedying that. How everyone else reacted to that, remained to be seen.

The current conditions of the room, however, were far from ideal for keeping ingredients. Most would probably spoil within an hour of being left in the room. Back in the Mojave I'd salt what I'd need to, or dry out some ingredients until I needed to reconstitute them. No one likes to eat rotten food, and I'd often wind up with more 'steaks' than I knew what to do with.

Here though, refrigeration was still a plausible idea. Though I hadn't shelled out the money for a 'fridge' yet, I had slapped something together using odds and ends I found lying around. Basically, an insulated box of steel and junk, that barely reached my knees and was about a foot wide by three long. It required me to regularly steal ice from the cafeteria, but it kept my food chilled until I wanted it.

I opened my icebox and pulled out some steaks I'd procured on one of my trips to Vale. I'd felt like splurging a little, and I'd long run out of meats from the Mojave. From what I could gather, they were cow or 'beef' steaks. Meaning they were effectively the ancestors of the typical Brahmin meat that was common in the Wastes. So they shouldn't have been to unfamiliar to work with.

I grabbed the package of them, about twelve total, and set them in my skillet. Along with them, I grabbed as many potatoes, jalapenos, and prickly pears as I could. Plus, a bottle of Sunset sarsaparilla and fistful of pinyon nuts. The sarsaparilla would be used for cooking, the nuts were just a snack that I promptly ate. I wasn't going to eat all of it at once anyway, but making it for later saved me the hassle of letting it go bad. I grabbed a few other standard implements and headed back out the door.

It was slower going back out of the dorms. The items I'd gathered weren't heavy, but I still had to carry them by hand. Last thing I wanted to do was drop raw meat on the ground either. I've eaten Grit Steaks before, but they taste like shit and give me toothaches.

I carefully wedged my way out of the dorm's doors and continued down the path.

I didn't hear them coming until they were right on top of me.

I heard the crunch of stone behind me in time to just barely turn my head. Then there was a sledgehammer like impact on my back. Followed by a sharp stinging sensation as something slapped my back.

I faltered slightly, but quickly caught my footing and turned face my assailant.

"Heya!" Nora announced, a big toothy grin on her face. "Hope I didn't surprise ya!"

A short distance behind Nora, I could see the rest of JNPR racing towards us.

"Nora-" Ren panted when they caught up "Was that really necessary?"

"Yea, obviously~" Nora said, continuing to smile "We haven't seen anyone around here in _days_ , we can't just let the first person we see walk away."

"Wait-" I said, trying to catch up "What are you guys doing here?"

"Enjoying summer break" Jaune said sarcastically "Nora, Pyhrra, and Ren-"

"Let me guess-" I interrupted "They're from Mistral and couldn't make the trip there and back in time?"

Jaune looked at me in confusion.

"Actually-" Pyrrha spoke up, a bit bashful "I'm from Argus, sorry."

"And me and Ren are Orphans." Nora said, dissonantly cheerful

"O-oh."I said, giving Nora an uncomfortable stare "Are… are you two okay?"

"Totally." Nora said, still smiling "Hasn't bothered us in a long time."

Though she said that, her voice gained a strained quality to it, and I couldn't help but think her smile seemed a tad… forced.

"W-what are you doing here though?" Jaune asked "We've been here the entire break and haven't seen anyone."

"… _How?_ " I asked, skeptical "Me and my team have been here the entire time, and they live right across from your room!"

"I told you there weren't any ghosts in the dorms." Ren said under his breath, to no one in particular.

"Well, what are _you_ guys doing here?" Jaune asked

"Broke the law." I said bluntly "Got punished, stuck on campus for the break. Still worth it in the end I think."

"Ooo, what's that you've got?" Nora asked, looking at the food in my hands

"… dinner." I answered, cautiously

"Where'd you get steaks if you're stuck on campus?" Ren asked

"Got 'em before we got stuck here. Figured I should cook them before they went bad."

"That… seems like a lot of food though." Pyrrha said carefully, looking over the mountain of steaks and potatoes in the skillet.

"I've got a big appetite." I said "Plus, then I've got left overs."

"Can we have some?" Nora asked

"Nora!" Ren snapped "That's rude."

"Quite." I said, resuming my walk towards my garden.

"Aww~ but you have so much!" Nora whined, following after.

"That doesn't mean you can go inviting yourself to things."

"Please?"

"No."

" _Please?_ "

"Again, no."

" _Pleeeease~?_ "

"Stop following me!"

Despite that, Nora continued following me, and Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren after her. Or maybe they were following after me for food too, but weren't as vocal about it.

We were most of the way back to the garden when Nora's intoning and following got stale.

"Fine, I'll feed you, just stop following me!" I said

"Yea!" Nora whooped

"But wouldn't she have to keep following you to get the food?"

"Don't start being logical with me, Ren." I said, annoyed "If you wanted to be that, you should've stopped her before now."

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking-" Jaune asked "Where exactly are you going with all of that anyway?"

"A fire I started not too far from here."

"What!?"

"Oh calm down, it was a small one."

"I don't believe leaving a fire unattended is the wisest decision." Ren added

"It's not, but it's easier cooking over coals than an open flame."

Despite my nonchalance, I immediately picked up the pace. Letting the fire burn unsupervised was dangerous, to the surrounding architecture anyway. We quickly crossed the grounds, cutting across the open grass and down corridors where we could. I pretty much knew the place like the back of my hand at that point, which is why it was also odd that my hidden garden _was_ so hidden. There was only one path leading to it, and was otherwise isolated from the rest of the academy. Whoever designed this place either A, intentionally made it so there was an otherwise wasted cube of land off to the side of everything; or B, made a huge mistake in their plans and hoped they hid it well enough that no one would notice.

Either way, it worked for me.

I turned around the last corner and we walked into my corner of the grounds. The shade of the looming walls had just about cast itself over everything. Leaving my fire to cast its orange-amber glow over the plants and trees. I quickly moved back over to my fire, its flames having burned down significantly, and began adding a little more fuel.

"I wasn't aware this garden existed" Pyrrha said, looking around at all the vegetation

"It's something of a secret." I said, prodding the fire. "Not that I really mind."

"What's this?" Nora asked, eyeing my mutfruit tree. It's branches slowly growing weighted with ripening fruit. Though they were technically the 'crunchy' variety of Mutfruit rather than their berry looking cousin. Sharing the characteristics of some type of purple apple, perhaps.

"Mutfruit-" I answered

Nora began to reach a hand toward one of the fledgling fruits. I quickly took one of the smaller sticks lying around me and threw it at her hand. Surprisingly I actually hit it. She yelped in surprise and gave me a glare.

"- and it's not ripe, so don't touch it." I finished

I wouldn't have minded sharing if they were ripe actually. I would've used the majority of them for various experiments, but there was no way I'd be able to eat the full harvest without getting sick. Plus, given the clean conditions surrounding it, I wasn't concerned with it carrying radiation either.

"I'm confused" Jaune said, looking around "If this place is such a secret, how did you find it?"

"Spent the first week or two exploring." I answered, tending the fire. "Wanted to know the fastest ways around, it just so happened I found this place in the process."

"But how has no one else?" Ren asked

I shrugged in response "Beats me, but the less people know about it the better. Last thing I need is for this place to become a hang-out for anyone trying to hide from Goodwitch."

"I think the smoke is coming from over here." A new voice said

I turned my head back towards the path leading to my garden and was met with my teammates racing down the path. They came to a halt just at the gardens edge, with Weiss at the head of them.

'Well, so much for this place being a secret.'

My teammates approached the fire, with Snowflake and Ruby leading. Though If I didn't know any better, it looked more like Snowflake was dragging Ruby towards it. This ceased, however, when Snowflake realized it wasn't just me in the garden.

"Hey Guys!" Nora exclaimed, spring up in front of Ruby and Weiss. She put a hand on each of their shoulders "Are you guys here for dinner too?"

"Um… what?" Ruby asked

"Six is cooking us dinner." Nora said cheerfully "Do you want some?"

"I'm not cooking you dinner, I was cooking _myself_ dinner until you pestered me into making you some." I clarified "- and don't go inviting more people!"

"He's making you dinner?" Ruby asked, apparently ignoring me "He never does that for us!"

"I didn't know he even knew _how_ to cook." Weiss said, scrutinizing me and my fire.

"You never asked!" I said in exasperation

"We're having dinner now?" Yang asked "Cool."

"I just said I'm not making anyone else dinner!"

"Aw, but we're hungry." Ruby whined

"Then go to the cafeteria."

"Please?" Ruby asked

"No."

"Please~"

"Again, no."

"Six~"

"Ruby, stop."

Ruby proceeded to give me that pleading look with her eyes again. The one that could burn a hole through vault concrete and melt steel.

My resolve held fast. I couldn't afford to go giving away all of my food. I mean, it wasn't that I couldn't get more, but it was mine. _I'd_ paid for it and intended to make the most of it. _I_ went through the effort to make the necessary preparations. _I_ was always the one cooking, even back home. Sure, I was alright at it, and sure, food was always better with company. But this was my food. I'm not about to let my own resolve crumble in the face of a little obstinance. Especially with regards to something so petty.

I'm stronger than that.

…

"You can cook like this and we've been eating cafeteria food this whole time!?" Yang crowed, biting into another piece of saucy steak.

"Ah shut it." I grumbled, prodding another of the steaks as they sat just over the coals.

It took me a little over a half hour to get the food ready. I seared the steaks in my skillet first to render some of the fat out, leaving some behind and using the rest to caramelize the browning potatoes. After searing, I set the steaks directly over the coals to finish cooking, then set them to the side when they were ready, the ash from the coals absorbing into the steaks themselves as they wept their juices. As the potatoes became soft I set them with the meat, the residual heat helping them to finish cooking. I used the remaining fat to sauté the jalapeños in, plus sear the prickly pears and some of the pinyon nuts.

I was feeling adventurous, and maybe the odd ingredients would scare off everyone from eating them.

I dumped the contents of the Sarsaparilla into the pan and cooked it to a syrupy consistency, then threw in some salt to cut the sweetness.

By the time I was done, everyone was drooling. If the smells I was getting through my gasmask were accurate, I understood why. It might not have been my best attempt, but given I was just throwing things together, it smelled delectable. Seared meat, mingled with wood smoke. Sweet and spicy sauce, with fruity undertones.

Warm meat and potatoes, what wasn't to love?

I passed out steaks and potatoes to everyone with a healthy doling of the sauce which, if I'd done it right, should've been spicy, sweet, and just a little savory.

Everyone dug in with little complaint.

"…it's a bit bloody for my taste." Weiss grumbled halfheartedly.

… Except for snowflake, who apparently just liked to be a contrarian.

"What are these little pink fruits?" Blake asked, picking one out of the sauce and biting down on it.

"Prickly pear" I answered "They're good seared like this. Might've tried some Barrel cactus if I hand any on hand. Just for some tart to balance all the sweet."

"Prick-y wha- an- -rrel -ooo?" Ruby asked, mouth half full of food.

"Uh… local flavor." I answered

There were a couple of other ways I could've made this better too. Using some wine in place of or in conjunction with the sarsaparilla. Some glowing fungus seared in the pan for some extra body. A little flower to thicken the sauce into a gravy. There were options, but most of them were out of my reach at the moment.

Didn't change that it was still a serviceable meal anyway.

"This is really good." Jaune said, taking a bite of potato "How'd you learn to do this?"

"Practice and necessity. You can only rely on others cooking for you for so long before you get sick of it."

"You must've had a lot of practice then." Ren noted, taking a bite of perfectly cooked beef. "This is pretty good."

"Trade you for your pancake recipe." I said, finishing up another steak.

"Ooo" Nora cooed, tearing viciously into her hunks of meat and starch "Pancakes and steak, yum~"

I finished cooking and set the remaining food to the side, adding more wood to the fire. The hot coals quickly took it and gave us a crackling campfire. The sun had long set by this point, leaving us in the otherwise darkened garden. Lamp posts lit the academy's walkways some distance away. But here, in the garden, only the campfire cast light. A dancing, flickering orange glow that cast shadows on some of the nearby walls. It made everything seem a bit more foreboding.

But it brought me comfort too. I had plenty of good memories that involved being around a campfire with friends and food. Plenty of bad ones too, but more good than bad.

"Everyone good and happy now?" I asked, defeated.

Everyone murmured some form of agreement, and I let myself relax a little. I began to pack up some of the extra food.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Pyrrha asked "You brought all that out here to make dinner for yourself, didn't you?"

"I'm- uh- not particularly hungry right-"

I was interrupted by a shifting in my bowels and a growling as my stomach made its displeasure known.

"… I'll eat later." I finished

"Why not eat now?" Pyrrha asked innocently.

"Reasons."

"He probably doesn't want to take his helmet off." Ruby said

"Why not?" Jaune asked

"Because he doesn't take his helmet off… ever."

"He doesn't?" Jaune asked, looking to Ruby then back to me "You don't?"

"Never do." I answered.

"But… but you'd have to, how are you supposed to eat otherwise?"

"Osmosis and air filtration coupled with regular bouts of intravenous nutrition supplementation."

The entirety of team JNPR looked at me in confusion.

"… That means I absorb shit and inject things." I supplied.

"… That sounds mildly unpleasant." Pyrrha said succinctly.

'…Ah, I see what she did there, walked right into that.'

In the corner of my vision I saw Weiss nudge Ruby. Who in turn gave Weiss a look I couldn't quite discern. Weiss then began motions like they were having a silent argument, with Ruby returning them in kind.

"Ruby, Weiss-" I said, turning my attention to them "Is there something you would like to share with the class?"

My two teammates quit what they were doing and looked at me. They stared for a moment, before Weiss grew frustrated and nudged Ruby again. Ruby grimaced at her teammate, then fixated on me.

"So… Six." She said slowly, deliberately, uncomfortably

"Yea?"

"I- um- want to ask you something."

"… Ok, well, I'm listening."

"…"

Ruby remained silent. Her eyes darting between me, the fire, our teammates, and literally everything else.

"…Well?" I asked "You going to ask or not?"

"I- um- don't know how to ask it."

Weiss gave an exasperated groan and buried her face in the palm of one of her hands.

"It seems more like _you_ want to ask me something than Ruby does, snowflake." I said, eyeing her.

"It's _her_ responsibility." Weiss grumbled "She said she would take care of it."

"Alright, well what is 'it'?"

"Nothing!" Ruby interjected "Absolutely nothing, just some questions I- we wanted to ask because we were curious."

"Then why aren't you asking them?"

"Because I don't know what to ask." Ruby whined.

"We spent all of this afternoon going over them!" Weiss huffed in annoyance "Just do it like we practiced!"

"There weren't this many people when we practiced!"

While Ruby and Weiss continued arguing I slipped JNPR a quick glance. They all looked about as confused as I felt. Rather than continue sitting there though, with my dinner getting cold, I elected to move along.

"Well, if you've got nothing to ask-" I said, rising "-I think it's time for me to take my leave."

"B-but-" Ruby stuttered.

I picked up my food and stepped around everyone until I was free and clear of the fire. "The fire should burn itself out, just don't add anything else to it unless you're planning to stick around longer."

"Six wait-"

I started back towards the foot path to the dorms. After I ate, I was going to take a nice hot shower and catch 40 winks. I lost a day's worth of work time to Peach's club, and I needed to get back to it. I was close to a breakthrough; I could feel it.

"-Could you tell some more stories about where you're from!?" Ruby shouted, catching me off guard.

I stopped walking and turned back look at the smaller girl. She had a surprisingly serious look on her face for an otherwise un-serious question. It only made me feel a _little_ more uneasy than the question itself.

"…Stories?"

"Uh- Y-yea." Ruby said losing the sudden seriousness "I wanted to know if you had any more stories like that one you told us before?"

"… You mean about the Burned Man?"

"Mhmm." Ruby nodded

"Uh…" Jaune intoned, confused "I think we're a little out of the loop here."

A quick glance at team JNPR showed that, yes, they did appear just a tad confused.

"I told them a tall-tale from back in the Mojave." I supplied "Nothing more."

"You also didn't finish it." Ruby said "I just wanted to hear the rest of it."

"I-I hardly think now is the time-"

"Ooh!" Nora interrupted "I want to hear it too!"

"What- why-"

Before I could finish, Nora sprang up from her spot around the fire. She cleared the distance to me, clamped an iron grip on one of my arms, and dragged me back to the fire. She hurriedly ushered me back to the spot I'd been sitting like she was a hyperactive child, then took her own seat back.

"I supposed this could be interesting." Pyrrha said, with thinly veiled interest "We haven't heard much about where you're from either."

"Well-" I said, trying to regain my footing "I don't think now is really the time to tell you it."

"Aww, why not?" Nora groaned

"Yea, why?" Ruby parroted

"Because I don't feel like repeating the first part of the story just for the sake of giving context." I answered, motioning to JNPR. "They don't know the first part, so I'd have to tell them it for any of what I'd say to make sense. Plus, I only told you that story to help make a point which, at the time, I'd needed to."

That, and I was beginning to feel nervous about telling them _anything_. With all the weirdly pointed questions they'd been asking me recently, I could tell they were up to something. They _had_ to be. I wasn't going to accuse them of anything yet, But I couldn't keep pretending they weren't up to something either. Until I knew what, I was going to have to be as careful with them as I might be with Ozpin.

Ok, maybe not _that_ careful, but still careful.

"Aw, but that would just make tonight perfect~" Nora whined.

"Nora" Ren sighed.

"But it _would_ Ren!" Nora said with exuberance "A cool summer night, dinner around a campfire, the only things missing are marshmallows and ghost stories. We're already halfway there!"

'The hell is a marsh-mallow?'

"Well, I'm sorry to say, Nora-" I continued, brushing aside my own question "But I'm afraid I only have a few stories I could tell, but most of them don't quite qualify for the situation."

"Aww." Nora whined, deflating.

"Besides, ghost stories are for kids." I said "There are things out there a whole hell of a lot scarier… than… ghosts."

"Language." Weiss said succinctly

I didn't respond to her. Instead, for some reason, my brain had latched onto something else. Just mentioning the word shouldn't have had much effect, but it had given me an idea. I didn't have many _real_ stories involving them, but that was for reason of almost none existing. You mention them around most in the Mojave, the probable reaction will be of confusion. The few that knew though, quickly shied away from the topic. For good reason.

Ghost people had a tendency to haunt more than the Sierra Madre.

If you knew what they were, you knew why.

So, I didn't have any actual stories I could tell about them apart from my own encounter with them. But I wasn't going to tell them about that. Both because I needed to watch what I said, and because the thought of revisiting the memories of that place sent a chill down my spine. Even making up a story about them was going to leave me feeling uneasy. This is even knowing how to _kill_ them. You'd think knowing the weaknesses of the beasts would help give some small measure of confidence, but it actually made it worse because even knowing I could kill them didn't change the fact that doing so was ridiculously hard.

Fuck the Sierra Madre. Fuck it and all the nightmares it represents.

"… Six?" Ruby asked

I blinked and realized I'd been staring intently into the fire for a fairly length stretch of time. I blinked the spots of color out of my vision and came back to reality.

"Are you ok?" Ruby asked again

"I'm- uh… I'm good." I answered, steeling myself "It's just… I guess I do have a story I could tell you. I just can't guarantee you'll like it."

'And not just because I'm making it up as I go along.'

"Yea!" Nora whooped "Is it a ghost story?"

"… of a kind."

Taking that as a cue, everyone inched a little closer to the fire and began staring at me intently. All bearing some semblance of fascination. I steeled myself, because even knowing the story I was about to tell was mostly fiction, the bit of truth in there undid any consolation.

I sighed, heavily, and began my story.

"In the Mojave, there exist stories of a place- a city, known as the Sierra Madre…"

…

 _The Sierra Madre Casino and Villa. The forgotten city. The casino among the clouds. A place shrouded in mystery and myth. To many: a legend, a city of gold and abundance. Said to be home to untold riches and technologies beyond the wildest of imaginings. Where there was no hunger, no thirst, all was bright and hope guided all who wished to begin again. A beacon of the future._

 _But legends are legends. Stories we tell ourselves to give hope when we need it most._

 _The Sierra Madre, in all of its glory, was a place locked far away from the Mojave. Hidden by geography and the elements. To ensure that all those who sought it would be met with hardship. To have them turn away before they arrived._

 _But to the most stalwart of man, there is no challenge that may stand against them. No treasure that may slay greed. No piece of knowledge too small to be tempting. No light of hope too dull to try for._

 _But for all, the Sierra Madre promised only one truth. To Begin again._

 _But to begin, there is always one truth to go with it._

 _There must always come an end._

 _(…)_

 _For Laura Dowling all she wanted had been a chance to begin again. A chance to escape the life that had tormented her for so long. A life that had started happy and hopeful. A life surrounded by friends and loved ones, there to support each other when times grew tough. A life where she'd known safety and warmth in the arms of others. Where she did all she could to return that warmth in kind._

 _Until it was ripped away from her._

 _When words became falsehoods and relationships crumbled. Where friends and family disappeared, by their own callousness or by other's. Where the warmth of a full life became hollow, and only sustained through the substances she could find. Warmth that grew colder with every moment._

 _Laura Dowling was alone._

 _But the Sierra Madre promised hope. A paradise hidden from the harsh world, and promising all that she'd lost. She only needed to go. To begin again._

 _So she went._

 _A young woman, guided only by her resolve. Who trekked deserts and braved mountains to find the promised city. The travel was long, and along the way she was joined by another who sought the city. Together, they traveled. Seeking that which may not exist, but blindly hoping beyond anything that it did._

 _They found the city. After countless weeks of searching, they found the Sierra Madre. Nestled in a valley betwixt a mountain range and mesa._

 _But the City did not meet their expectations. Where there should have been sun, only an oppressive crimson gloom hung. Where the noise and life of the city should have filled the air, stood silence and stillness. Where the light of hope should have been fostered once more, only darkness clung._

 _They stood in a city of the dead._

 _Realizing their mistake sooner than she, Laura's companion abandoned her. Sealing the way behind them and trapping her in the Sierra Madre. She turned back whence they'd come, calling out for them to come back and save her but the companion refused, running far beyond her cries could reach._

 _It was only after she was well and truly abandoned did she come to realize the horrors of the Sierra Madre. As she breathed, inhaling the crimson cloud that surrounded her, she could feel her lunges ache and burn. Her exposed skin and face, wherever the cloud could reach grew tender and raw as it ate at her. Tearing into her as though it were alive. Slowly devouring her._

 _Yet the worst, had yet to come._

 _For Laura was not alone._

 _Behind her, and further into the darkened city, Laura could hear them. Their shambling, stumbling feet traipsing down pathways. Their weapons, scraping the stone. Their breath, a slow steady staccato of rasps and metal._

 _The Sierra Madre was home to no man._

 _It was the home of the ghosts they'd become._

 _Fierce abominations, clothed in blackened hides. Hiding their faces behind masks of metal, their eyes glowing a sickly green in the darkness of the cloud. They were creatures that felt no fear. They were the predators. The Sierra Madre was their home. Those who stumbled in, their prey._

 _Laura tried to fight back, but the ghosts that prowled the Sierra Madre were beyond her. That which is dead cannot die. They came at her en-swarm, chasing her through the buildings of the Sierra Madre. Forcing her to breathe deep the toxic cloud surrounding her. Slowly tearing away at her, physically. Laura could here them behind her, never so close as to catch her, but never so far as she could escape the rasping of their breath. She wanted to scream, tired and fearful._

 _But the Ghosts were not mere beasts. They held yet, some semblance of the intelligence they had whilst living. They set traps for their prey and lay in ambush for them._

 _Laura discovered this too late. Only having the span of a breath to realize what was happening._

 _Then metal pierced skin._

 _Laura cried in pain and the beasts descended on her._

...

I stared into the fire as I began to bring the tale to a close.

"No one knows what happened to Laura." I said softly "The story changes from person to person. Some say she managed to escape the ghosts, but was trapped in the Sierra Madre all the same. That she fled until she was cornered in a room and finally collapsed, the cloud finally taking her."

I looked back up to my teammates and JNPR. They all looked wide eyed and horrified.

"Others-" I continued "-like to be optimistic. That with all of the wondrous technologies within the city, she managed to escape. Fleeing the city and its monsters… but I don't believe this ending is true."

I closed my eyes and imagined the words I was saying. Trying to make sure I was grasping the horror right.

"I believe the ending for Laura was much worse. That the ghosts did to her as they did to all their victims."

"W-what do they do?" Ruby asked, looking paler than usual.

"That they took her… and broke her." I said simply, solidly "That they slowly and forcefully ripped the humanity from her as they had every other unfortunate that entered the city. They stripped her of her mind and will, broke her down into a savage monster. Then bound her in the dark hides that adorned all of the Ghosts, and set her free into the city. Just one more soul that got to begin again."

I opened my eyes and stared at my company.

Ruby was clinging fearfully to Yang, while she in turn had gone stock still.

Blake had gone wide eyed, pupils dilated and ready to run at the smallest provocation.

Weiss was trying to keep an air of composure about her, but I could see she was gently rocking back and forth.

JNPR was little better, but their reactions were of similar accord to my teammates. Jaune and Pyrrha were both still and stiff as boards. Though I could see Jaune was closer to losing it. Nora clung to Ren like he was a safety blanket. He was the only one who didn't appear afraid. But that wasn't surprising, given he had an exceptional poker face.

"And to this day, it's said that you can hear it on the wind if you listen well enough. A young maiden's scream, muffled by the rasping, metallic breathing of the ghosts."

"That... That's quite a story." Jaune said, breathless and fearful

"Hmm, most ghost stories tend to be when you know how to tell them."

"Y-yea… well, at least it's just a story, right?" Jaune asked, trying to re-assure himself more than anything "I mean, come on, monsters in metal masks, lost cities, 'wondrous technology', that's just silly."

I looked at the boy for a moment. Normally, I'd have been alright to let them assume a story like that was just a figment of someone's deranged imagination. Which, in this case, it mostly was. But I knew the parts of it that weren't. They were genuine threats that very likely did what I'd claimed. Even if they weren't here, that didn't change they were a threat.

I reached into one of my pockets and pulled out a small coin shaped object. I flicked it of my thumb, over the fire and at Jaune.

The Sierra Madre chip collided against his breast plate as he fumbled to catch it. He laid it out in his palm and stared at it. His teammates joined him, and I got to watch in unison as the horror rippled its way across their faces.

"Keep telling yourself that, Jaune." I said softly "It'll help with the nightmares."

With that I collected my stuff and left. Part of me figured I'd outstayed my welcome.

…

Peace and tranquility reigned over the campfire site for a small period after the Courier's departure. The two teams of huntsmen in training marinating in the fear that was bestowed upon them. All of them staring at the casino chip bestowed unto Jaune.

"… ah, Ah, AH, AAAAAAAA-"

It was also Jaune who was the first to crumble.

"I-I don't understand." Pyrrha said, maintaining composure better than her leader "It was just a story, wasn't it?"

"B-but where'd he get this from then?" Jaune sputtered, overcoming his screams.

"H-he probably made it just to scare people." Nora said, putting on a brave smile "I mean there's no way it's real, right Ren?"

"… It looks pretty real to me." Ren said evenly.

"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ADMIT THAT!" Nora squawked.

"Guys-" Ruby said, trying to gain JNPR's attention

"It does look real." Jaune agreed, panicking "But what does that mean?"

"It would mean the story he told was true." Ren said, still maintaining composure, though he'd grown considerably paler.

"Guys-" Ruby reiterated.

"But if it's real that means-"

"Jaune" Pyrrha said, calm.

Jaune stopped midsentence.

"Ruby has something she wants to say." Pyrrha continued "Perhaps it'd best to her what?"

Without a word, Jaune gave a blank nod. He and the rest of JNPR looked to the Red clad huntress, still clamped tight to her older sibling.

"…" Ruby gave a sigh, steeling herself and burying the story she'd just heard. "I think we need to talk to you about Six."

* * *

 **Here's another one, had something witty to put here, but I can't remember what, I'm sure it will come back to me at some point.**

 **"Rnij": I do believe it is a tesseract, good sir**

 **"DarkRomDemon": Psh, what? What kind of asshole do you take me for?**

 **"Engineer455": Jury's still out on other fallout games at the moment, especially with regards to 76, If we get to that point I'll let you know**

 **" Nich-Jay": Sorry for the wait, the holiday struck and I got stuck in that little box I get shoved into whenever things start going crazy**

 **"AutisticBoi": I believe it's pronounced 'Wry', sir**

 **"Four elemental": Green acid is ok every first tuesday of the month, but never the third. If it's the last quarter, avoid the blue-speckled acid unless you want a trip you can never come back from. Above all else though, do not- I repeat- DO NOT sample the Tangerine banana balm acid on the first, middle, and last days of the month. You will trip balls right up until yours fall off.**

 **"1123581321345589141": If we get there, you'll see**

 **"SebjectCrimsonStorm": Aw crap, the wars have started again, everybody run for the hills!**

 **"Adeinprc": I will take that as compliment :)**

 **"Phoenix's Regret": ... Ominous**

 **Alright, enough fooling around, This fanfic was brought to you by Motor Runner's Autos and Powertools: "Our prices aren't just low, they're fiendishly so."**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	26. Intermission 7-1: Night in the Club

Motor-Runner had a surprising number of accomplishments, for someone who amounted to a gang-lord junkie. The man had been the leader of one of the most feared criminal factions in the Mojave. He, as I later found out, survived multiple assassination attempts from the NCR. He, through the use of his two functioning brain cells, had successfully cobbled together a gang of some of the worst scum the wastes had to offer.

In a few ways, he reminded me of a watered-down version of Caesar. Or, perhaps more accurately, a version of Caesar who'd had the legion's already terrible features cartoonishly exaggerated. From the little he said before we took care of him, Motor-Runner had all the charisma of a Creepy Undertaker. But I guess you don't need more than that when the people you're leading are as sane as rabid Geckos and so chemically dependent on you that they'll do anything for a hit.

Despite that though, I'd expected more a challenge from him.

You couldn't even call what happened a fight, more a confrontation than anything. Given it only lasted about ten seconds or less. Cass shot both of the dogs he'd had with him, Donnie and Marie, in the head with diligence. Neither of them had even had the chance to bare fangs before they were dead in a fury of sound and lead.

Motor-Runner got it worse though.

He'd just gotten his weapon around front of himself as he ran at us, a chainsaw of all things.

I shot him in the leg and he fell onto it at full rev. The blade vivisected him after about ten seconds. I was pretty sure he was dead after the first three though. Blood and viscera sprayed in a messy line from the chainsaw's edge for several feet. Only stopping because the engine finally stalled out.

Part of me wondered why Motor-Runner had used the damn thing as a weapon anyway. Sure, it was scary and damned effective if you could focus it on a single target. But it wouldn't take much to overwhelm, the chain could bind on something if it was placed against something hard enough, and it couldn't be used like a traditional weapon. Even the ripper I'd secured from Vulpes wasn't the most efficient of weapons most times, but was close enough to a knife in function to circumvent those issues. I suppose that's the trade-off for using lumber-mill equipment as weapons though.

Still, Motor-Runner might've survived longer if he'd at least been wearing armor that was worth a damn. He didn't even have his chest covered. Idiot.

I swiped his hat, left the chainsaw, and we walked out without issue. Which I found surprising. We hadn't exactly been quiet about handling Motor-Runner. Though given the fiends' already established collective lack of empathy towards one another, I should've figured as much. But they gave no resistance all the same, I could've rigged the place to blow on our way out and they might not have cared. They probably all got high or something.

But, regardless, we got out without incident. It was only slightly disconcerting to be walking amongst the fiends' main encampment without them attacking us. Guess they'd spread word around I was a runner for the Khans. Not that I actually was, but they didn't need to know that.

Though as we walked, I did notice this dirty looking mofo. He was undoubtedly a fiend, but he was actually wearing armor. A full set of metal armor and a welding mask, plus a flamer. Aside from that though, it looked like they were dragging the remains of the fiends that jumped us in the hall behind them. I couldn't shake the feeling they weren't planning to bury them but, who knows, maybe I was reading the drug addled psychos wrong.

After that it was just a short walk back to McCarran. A disconcertingly short walk, in fact. One had to wonder if the fiends weren't so good at ambushing troops not because of info leaks, but because they could hear their proverbial neighbors chatting from the next yard over.

Though the near total lack of guards around the perimeter of McCarran certainly didn't help.

But what do I know, I'm just the hired help.

We passed the main checkpoint to the camp and wandered the area outside the main concourse. Anders hadn't told us where to find Dhatri, but had told us that he headed up First Recon. Which meant he was likely outside with the troops.

What had once been the pre-war parking lot had been converted into the barracks. A series of canvas tents and corrugated metals shanties to cover the troops from the elements. Dotted, here and there, with tables, fire pits, chairs, barricades, and the occasional crude approximation of a super mutant. It was strange that despite having plenty of room on the base they had their troops waiting outside like this. Although the main entrance to the camp lead directly into it, that just made it even stranger. In the event of a proper assault any soldiers that were unprepared would be among the first casualties. Not a bright decision on the NCR's part, especially since McCarran had a direct route to the heart of the strip.

The only justification they could have was that this was the current home of the First Recon battalion. Meaning if you were planning to assault the place, you'd have to account for the literal standing army of people who could pick your head off from almost a mile out with ease.

That did little to diminish the fact that it was still a _very_ slim justification though.

We passed amongst the tents for a minute or two. There weren't many of them, for a camp this size, so there was plenty of space to move around at the moment. We'd had to bug a few of the troopers about Dhatri before we got a straight answer. We found him towards the south east corner of the camp. He wasn't alone either.

When we approached him, he had his back turned to us and was speaking to a pair of troopers. One a bespectacled young man with a darker complexion. The other, an older woman with rough cut features, her head shaved and aviators over her eyes. All three wore familiar red berets though.

"-Third time I've needed to have this talk with you Corporal." The man I assumed to be Dhatri said to the woman "I've been getting these reports regarding you behavior regularly enough now that I can't ignore them as being false."

"They're just words." The woman answered, her voice somewhere between calm and frustrated. "They need to grow a thicker skin."

"That doesn't justify you speaking and acting that way around the cadets." The man retorted "If you keep at it, the MP's will court martial you. If you were any more aggressive, they already might have."

"Not my fault they're as cute as they are." The woman answered curtly.

"Corporal-"

"So what if I want to get into someone else's pants after a day or two in the field. Respectfully, Major, that's none of your-"

The woman stopped speaking, her gaze seemed to shift from past the man she was speaking to and to me and Cass. I saw her quirk an eyebrow and get this weird smile on her face.

The man she'd been speaking to, confused, turned around and got a look at me and Cass approaching. He gave an irritated sigh and turned partway back to the woman and kid.

"You're dismissed corporal, for now. Go."

"Sir."

Both the woman and the kid gave a salute and walked away. The man they were talking to turned back to face us and met us in stride. He was built like a brick wall. A squat one, but a brick wall none the less. His chest broad and barreled beneath the armor. His arms, by comparison, were thin and almost wiry, though they were still solid. His skin was a deep tan, like the color of fresh, sandy mud. His face was wide, and a bit flat, lines from stress and age wrinkling around his eyes and mouth. A brown, unkempt beard and moustache furnished his jaw, chin, and upper lip, looking in need of some grooming. He had a wide, flat nose, liked someone had crushed it against his face at some point. His eyes though, were much like I'd seen on Hsu: tired orbs of bloodshot brown. But unlike Hsu, Dhatri's didn't seem as much alive, strange though it may seem. They were a little glassier, almost unfocused, the way I'd seen on some others around the Mojave. But most of those people had been much older than Dhatri looked. Like he'd seen too much, too soon. Or perhaps just too much for too long.

We approached him and he gave us a nod.

"Major Dhatri?" I asked, wanting to confirm who he was

"I am." He answered shortly "Is this bad news, or something about some dead fiends?"

"'Suppose it's pretty good then." Cass said, smirking

"Did Anders make it back?" I inquired "Figured I should make sure he didn't collapse somewhere first, after how much of a hassle it was to help him."

"Oh, so that was you Anders was talking about." Dhatri said, a small smile worming its way onto his face. "Was wondering what he was thinking, showing up without finishing the mission. The lieutenant had said someone was sent to relieve him though."

"We were, though we hadn't planned on finishing the job for him."

Dhatri gave me a quizzical look "Does that mean you _did_?"

"Depends-" I answered, pulling out Motor-Runner's road-kill hat "Do I have to keep carrying this thing around?"

"… Hot _damn_!" Dhatri said, suppressing a chuckle "The colonel said you got things done, but I hadn't counted on this."

"You guys are talking about me behind my back?" I asked "If that isn't rude, I've got no clue what is."

Dhatri rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately for you, since the job had been assigned to Anders-"

"- and because Boyd asked me to intervene you can't pay me despite the fact that I not only completed the job, but also saved Anders in the process." I finished for him.

"…" Dhatri gave me a deadpan look as I cut him off.

"I figured as much when I took the job for Boyd." I answered "I'm kinda pissed you can't pay me for taking care of Motor-Runner though."

"I'll take it up with the colonel." Dhatri said, empathetic "Sorry, but I made sure to keep that job internal. I figured once the bounties went up, we'd have a harder time trying to take the head off their leader."

"Bounties?" I asked

"Yea, we have a couple of outstanding bounties for high-ranking members of the fiends." Dhatri elaborated "You interested?"

"… Do they pay?"

…

The only reason I woke when I did was because my hand had unconsciously swatted at one of the burners near me, knocking it over and causing the jet to be redirected at my then resting arm.

I awoke to the feeling singed skin and the smell of burning hair.

I unintentionally and groggily waited until I couldn't quite stand the pain of being burned before finally waking up. My eyes snapped open and I pushed back from the burner. In doing so, unbalancing the stool I was perched on and toppling painfully to the floor of the lab.

"… ow" I groaned, groggy "… I've got to stop falling asleep in here."

I'd fallen asleep in the lab at least twice the past three nights. Not a smart move given anyone who got curious could sneak up on me. But I'd been so deep into work that it wouldn't have been hard anyway.

As I slowly picked myself up, I took stock of my surroundings, ensuring no errant blankets or bowls of cafeteria food had chosen to appear this time. They appeared to have steered clear. In their place though, were crumpled balls of scrap paper, broken glass, pencil shavings, bits of plant matter, burned notes, broken beakers, scorched test tubes, dried chemical residue, a half-eaten sandwich, empty containers, and what appeared to be several syringes half filled with viscous liquid. All of them still failures, if I recalled correctly. Perhaps my feeling about being close was a tad off, but miracles of medicine don't happen overnight.

Well, technically they do, sometimes… semantics.

I picked myself up off the floor and followed it with a quick dust off. My clothes were a bit rumpled and stained themselves, but nothing a little more abraxo cleaner wouldn't take out. I took a look out the lab windows that overlooked a section of the grounds. The sun had long since risen from the horizon and required me to crane my neck at an odd angle to see beyond the window. It was likely around noon now. I could vaguely remember checking the time early in the morning after another of the batches failed. So I'd gotten, maybe, seven hours of rest.

My brain finally finished shaking out the cobwebs and I realized what today was: Sunday. I had a promise to keep… in about six hours.

I'd have been happy to call it quits then and there. The work wasn't going anywhere and as long as I cleaned up before tomorrow night, no one would know I'd been there aside from Peach.

But I was excited, this was the first legitimate chance I had to finally get drunk since I'd been stuck here. Not counting that one time I tried to- um- 'barter' with that guy in the liquor store. Not to mention my experiments were close to bearing fruit. If all went well, tonight would be little more than a pre-amble of the things to come.

But then, perhaps a little more work was in order before celebrating.

I surveyed the carnage that was my work area and came to the conclusion that it could definitely be more of a disaster area. I righted my stool, wolfed down the remains of my sandwich, and got back to scribbling formulae on paper. The stimpacks weren't going to make themselves.

…

"Alright, so you know what you need to do?" Weiss asked, staring intently at Yang.

"Yea Weiss, I know." Yang responded, brushing her hair.

"… Let's go over it one more time just to be sure."

"Ugh" Yang groaned.

Yang stood in front of the mirror that was nestled into the corner of team RWBY's dorm room. Readying herself for the coming festivities of her evening. Ruby sat on her bed, absent mindedly swaying her legs as she watched her sister. Weiss sat beneath her, reviewing her mental list and ticking off items on her fingers. Across from Ruby and Weiss, on her own bunk, Blake laid back reading another book from her seemingly endless collection.

"You're going to take Six to this 'club' you know about." Weiss said ticking a finger.

"Yea." Yang replied.

"You're going to- _discretely_ -ask him about where he's from."

"Yup."

"You're going to ask him about who he is."

"Mhmm."

"You're going to ask if he's secretly a monster under that mask?" Ruby uneasily interjected.

Her question was answered with only a smirk from Yang and a disgruntled sigh from Weiss.

"I'm serious!" Ruby whined "I can't be the only one still freaked out by that stupid story he told, right?"

"I think Jaune is still freaked out." Blake answered, not looking away from her book "I think he's woken up screaming almost every night the past few days."

"Hey, that's less than you sis!" Yang said, smiling.

Ruby gave Yang a small glare.

"Lastly-" Weiss said, overcoming the interruption "You're going to do that _without_ him figuring out what you're trying to do."

" _Obviously_ " Yang answered "It's literally a list of four things Weiss, how could I not know what to do."

"How could Ruby not do a list of _three_?"

"It's not as easy as it looks!" Ruby whined.

"And now team JNPR knows as well!" Weiss answered "What if they don't bother being subtle and just ask him point blank?"

"… I asked them politely not too." Ruby responded feebly.

"Ok, cool it Weiss." Yang said, turning away from the mirror. "I know what I need to do, no need to get so wound up over it."

"I'm not wound up over it." Weiss snipped.

Yang rolled her eyes and set her hairbrush off to one side. Exchanging it for a small cosmetics kit, she plucked from it a small, round bristled brush and began applying mascara.

"…This has been going on for long enough."

"I'll take as long as I need to get ready." Yang said, smirking "Not my fault we've been taking cold showers the last week."

"I _meant_ with Six!" Weiss said, exasperated "It didn't take us this long to talk to Blake after she ran away!"

"It took you guys three days to find me." Blake corrected.

"And Six helped." Ruby added.

"But we didn't drag our feet either!" Weiss continued "You say you want to avoid pushing him away, Ruby, but we've accomplished nothing as a result!"

"N-not true!" Ruby said, sliding off her bed and to the floor "We know more about him now than we did two weeks ago."

"Yet we still know nothing." Weiss continued "We know he had friends back in the Mo-wherever he's from, we know he has ghost stories, and not much beyond that!"

"We did learn he didn't have an aura." Blake pointed out, turning a page.

"And that he doesn't use dust." Ruby added.

" _And_ that he can cook too." Yang smirked.

"And that helps us how!?" Weiss snapped "Can we please start taking this seriously?"

"We are, Weiss, chill out." Yang said, continuing to pretty herself "There's a good chance I'll be able to get the information out of him tonight."

"But what if you don't?"

"Weiss-"

"We keep assuming we're going to just get him to tell us everything without asking him, but he seems content to keep dancing around us as long as he can. What happens if he realizes what we're doing, we'll be right back where we started and doing what we tried to avoid doing in the first place."

"That's not going to happen." Yang re-affirmed solidly "I have ways of getting information out of people."

Ruby thought over the words her sister said for a moment. She knew that, for a while, Yang had been looking for someone. She'd never been entirely clear on who, but she'd assumed Yang was looking for her mother. Ruby had been in Vale on night while Yang was 'searching', and found her just outside some seedy club. One, she'd gathered, Yang had almost demolished inside. A part of Ruby couldn't help but worry. For the Courier, not for Yang.

"… Please be careful." Ruby said at last "We're not trying to hurt Six either."

"Don't worry baby Sis" Yang said, giving her sibling a warm, sunny smile "What's the worst that could happen?"

…

I shoulder checked the lab door open and stumbled out of it as quickly as I could. I had all of a half second to gulp down fresh air before I turned and slammed the door shut, trapping the fumes in the lab.

"H-ho- o- k." I managed to sputter between hacking and coughing fits. "Note to self: Abraxo cleaner and Datura root don't like having an electrical current run through them."

I glanced down at the slightly singed chunk of plant matter I'd kept a hold on before quickly exiting the room. It was hardly the length of my palm, and a bit charred on one end. I hadn't done it intentionally, nor had I expected it to produce such a noxious gas. I didn't feel like my lungs were melting, and I didn't see any flaming yao guai, so It wasn't immediately dangerous. It just smelled absolutely _rancid_.

I peered back through the window to the lab and double checked what I'd left in there. There were no cartoonishly putrid clouds of gas filling the room. I didn't see anything of the furniture melting, nor any of the plants wilting. The room looked perfectly fine. But I knew if I opened the door, I'd get a filter-full of foul-smelling gas. Mercifully, in my stumbling I managed to shut off the burners. So at least I wasn't going to immediately burn this place to the ground or blow it sky high. But I'd left everything out in the open, so anyone passing by would be able to take a peek in on my work. Including the most recent batch I'd left out to cure. I say batch, but I had only succeeded in making one syringe's worth with the remaining materials I had. I was going to need to collect more from my garden soon.

I looked down at my Pip-boy and checked the time. I was surprised at how much I'd lost track of it. I'd only been planning to spend an hour or two more working on the stimpacks. Instead, I'd succeeded in losing about five and a half.

I looked back at my stuff in the lab and weighed out the consequences. Normally, I would've sided with caution and gone back in and cleaned/hidden most of it. But I wanted to spend as little time in the gas as I could, and the room was likely to be abandoned until the day after tomorrow anyway.

It didn't sit right with me, but I settled on taking the chance of leaving my mess to be cleaned later. Best case, the gas would keep people away, and would settle itself out by the time I came back. Worst case, it kept people out but didn't disappear, meaning I'd have to vent the classroom whilst cleaning.

Though to help deter people, at least in part, I did lock the door. Maybe it wouldn't stop Peach if she decided to come snooping, but it would keep out anyone else who got too curious.

With that, I slipped the chunk of root into my pocket and started back towards the dorms. Stepping out the building confirmed that the clock on my pip-boy was still accurate at least, the sun had begun to dip towards the horizon, perhaps just kissing it. I hadn't realized I'd wasted as much time as I had. I'd gotten wrapped up in my work again. I'd been hoping to at least get a shower before we went gallivanting. Though with the water heater out of commission for the time being, it wouldn't be as comfortable as it had been.

I was a bit giddy, really. I hadn't had something to drink in so long now I'd almost forgotten what it felt like. Plus, there had to be drinks out there I was unfamiliar with. This place, similar as it was to my world, was still vastly different. What kinds of good stuff were out there that I had yet to be acquainted with? Maybe I'd finally get to taste some real tequila. Raul told me how the stuff used to be made, compared to the rudimentary ways I'd picked up. He said there was no comparing the two beyond "One is complete shit, the other is tequila". Or maybe I'd get to taste some vintage wines. I'd gotten the opportunity to sample some during my tenure in the Sierra Madre. The labels and writings had practically rotted away by the time I'd gotten a taste, but at least one bottle marked its contents as being nearly four hundred years old. It'd rolled like water down my throat, tasted of fruits and herbs I'd never known, and gave me a warmth so pleasant I'd wanted to wallow in it for days. Regardless of the dangers the Mojave posed.

I swear, it only took a few drops of the stuff to make me an Old-World Gourmet. Perhaps the only truly good thing the Madre did for me was that it made me _want_ to be a better cook.

Or maybe, just maybe, I'd get to sip some whiskey. Take a shot or two for old times. Cass had taught me how to hit it right. She always had a trick to it that made it much more enjoyable to drink. Made me feel stronger too. Or maybe that was just a psychological placebo of being able to drink in the presence of friendly company… friendly _female_ company… who always had my back…

I shook my head back and forth a little. Now was not the time to get mopey. Tonight was to be fun. Go into town, have a few drinks, make merry, the whole nine. If Cass were here, she'd be tearing it up with me. We'd have a ball, probably burn a place or two down, then make our way back, crawl under some sheets… take our clothes off…

I shook my head even harder; I had _no_ idea that thought started coming from, but now was not the time for that either.

I made it to the dorms and stopped at the bathroom long enough to splash some water on me and remove my rougher edges. I was pretty sure going out drinking while reeking of burnt plant matter and noxious fumes wasn't socially acceptable. Nor was reeking of sweat. The summer heat had only been growing in intensity the past few days. The humidity had stayed low, but after a while dry sweat made everything feel sticky anyway.

After making myself feel less like I'd crawled out of a cess-pit, I returned to my closet and pulled on the nicer clothes Byz had sold me. A black vest and violet button up shirt, with a surprisingly comfortable pair of jeans. They all were beginning to feel tight though. Not uncomfortably so, but they fit me differently than when I'd bought them four months ago.

'Stupid body, first you shrink and now you're wearing clothes differently. I swear, I better not be getting fat…'

I chuckled a little at my own stupidity. They were just clothes; the hell was I getting worked up over?

I pulled my boots on and finished piecing myself together. I gave myself one last once over to make sure I was put together and stepped back out of my closet.

Only to then realize that I had no idea _where_ I was supposed to meeting Yang. We hadn't actually said where we were supposed to meet, only when. But that was another easily remedied issue. We were quite literally down the hall from one another most of the time.

I took a short walk down the hall to my teammate's room and gave a quick knock. There was no immediate answer, but I heard rustling on the other side of the door. A moment or two after that, Ruby opened the door and looked up at me. Beyond her and into the room, I could See Weiss sitting on one of the beds. Blake lay halfway off her own as well, her upper body hanging upside down over the edge as she read a book.

"Oh!- Uh- hey, Six." She stuttered

"Evening Ruby" I answered, nodding "I'm looking for Yang, I believe the two of us had something planned?"

"Y-yeah" Ruby continued "She's at the weapons workshop."

"Really? Odd, we hadn't said where we'd meet so I'd just assumed it'd be here… Anyway, thanks, you have a goodnight, alright?"

"Um… you too."

I prepared to head back down the hallway but before I'd fully turned Ruby put a hand on my shoulder and stopped me.

"… Six, can I… ask you something?" Ruby asked cautiously

Behind Ruby, I noticed small movements from Weiss and Blake. Both seemed to be looking at me intently now, with thinly veiled scrutiny. Weiss more obviously than Blake, who hid behind her book like a barrier.

"…Sure." I said, slowly "I'm in a bit of a rush, but sure, ask away."

Ruby looked at me anxiously. "… That ghost story you told us the other night, how much of it was true?"

In the background I could see Weiss exasperatedly clenching her fists and glaring at Ruby, while Blake stopped actively paying attention to us.

I stayed quiet for a moment, but couldn't quite suppress a little chortle or a smirk from stretching across my face. I shook my head back and forth a little. "Oh, Ruby, you're cute. Don't ever change, alright?"

Without another word on my part, I turned and began to walk back down the hall.

"That… that's not an answer though!" Ruby called meekly after me.

I didn't respond to her, simply remaining quiet as I reached the end of the corridor. It wasn't until I heard the door to her room close that I stopped and looked back. I was alone in the hallway, but I looked back towards my teammate's room.

My paranoia was acting up again. Maybe I was just overthinking it, but that was the second time I could recall my teammates having vested interest in questions someone else was asking me. It wasn't even _just_ snowflake this time, Blake was in on it too. What was going on and how many times was I going to ignore it before I finally did something?

If I had worse impulse control than I did I'd sneak back up to the door, put my ear to it, and eaves drop until I had this mess sorted.

Instead, I just took a deep breath and pushed my paranoia back into a corner with a concentrated effort of will. I shouldn't have been listening to it. I was mildly frustrated by repeated failures, it was hot out, and I was ready for some drinks now. I could push it off a little longer, maybe, but not forever. Eventually something was going to tip the scales in favor of my paranoia and I was going to do something mildly idiotic. Or perhaps a little psychotic… maybe both actually.

I just needed to trust my teammates. Just like they were choosing to trust me.

'… and now I've got the power guilt working against me too.'

I pushed it into the corner with my paranoia and headed for the exit. I left the dorms and began to cut across the grounds as I'd grown experienced to. Run through a courtyard here, jump some bushes there, and go through a building somewhere in between and you arrive at your destination.

That building, in this instance, just so happened to be the same one where the various sparring classes had been held. The place was a tad creepy, vacant as it was. My footsteps seemed to echo throughout the entire place and the lighting seemed to have been dimmed in the absence of the student body. Probably to help save on electricity or some such.

I passed by our previous sparring room, evidenced by the slowly being rebuilt wall, and stopped to peer into it. It was, unsurprisingly, just as vacant as the rest of the building. I turned to continue walking, in doing so I cast my eyes on the doorway to the locker room. My gaze lingered on it for a moment as paranoia, or perhaps my instincts, felt the need to chime in. What if something went wrong tonight, and it didn't go as smoothly as me or Yang planned? Given my often-horrific luck, was that even an _if_ or a _when_?

'…'

I erred on the side of, well justified, caution and entered the locker room. It was just as dimly lit as the rest of the building, but it wasn't much of a problem for night-vision. The room came through to me as shades of gray rather than pitch black.

Once I got to and opened my storage locker, I looked over its contents. I had a number of tools fit for fighting and putting holes in whatever pissed me off. Unfortunately, most of them weren't exactly… covert. I'd gotten good at sneaking weapons into the strip's casinos over the length of my time there. But there were limits at what one could smuggle in through socks, belts, and exceptionally deep pockets. If I'd been thinking about it ahead of time, I'd have grabbed my sawn-off from my closet. Few things speak louder than a double load of shot to the anatomy feature of your choice.

Strangely though, I was never able to sneak That Gun past security. Despite the fact it was _smaller_ than my sawn-off.

I could easily slip my straight razor or boxing tape in if needed, but neither of them did much for stopping power. The razor would be good if I could get past aura, not great but better than no weapon. But both it and the tape had no weight to them. The tape would supplement that with how hard I could punch, but the Razor couldn't. So I ignored both of them, and took my spiked knuckles instead. They had the weight of the razor, but could keep my punching power behind them. I slid both pairs of knuckles up my sleeves and did my best to secure them.

Aside from them though, I was going to need something with a bit more reach than close range. Just because we were going to a bar didn't mean I wanted to be within stabbing distance of anyone.

I reached into my locker and pulled out my 10mm pistol. It was still a bit worn and just a bit dusty, just like I remembered it. I released the magazine from the well, checked the spring, tapped it against my locker and slid it back in. I locked the safety on and racked the slide back, holding it open. The action still felt smooth as glass and a quick glance at the mechanisms didn't show any immediate problems. I released the slide and it snapped forward. If the magazine was loaded, I'd have a round chambered and ready to use. It was good, sturdy, and ready to put holes in things once I fed it some bullets.

I promptly threw it back into my locker. As hard as I could.

The fucking thing had nearly gotten me killed during initiation. 10mm was common, and good enough for some varmint hunting back home. But it had been worthless against what had amounted to over-grown animals _here_. What would I expect, that it was useful against smaller, faster targets that could somehow naturally generate forcefields?

Fuck that, I'd sooner gamble Russian roulette with a semi-automatic.

I looked back through my locker for a better holdout weapon. My sawn-off would've been my go-to for it. But that's also half the reason I keep it under my pillow in the first place. No one's likely to notice it until I've already got it jammed in their face.

While searching for something more suitable, I grabbed one of my two remaining flash-bangs and slid it into one of my socks. A frag grenade might've been more useful, but who knows how things were going to go anyway.

My finger wrapped around another pistol grip and I pulled the gun out into the low light of the locker room. The colors were muted through my lenses, coming through only in grays. But I'd used a number of its type enough times to have its image ingrained in my head. Its slide and frame were a scratched and pitted gunmetal grey, with the handle scales a warm red-brown. The trigger a solid block of steel with a crescent carved into it for the finger. The slide bore a second set of serrations towards the end of the barrel. Meant to compensate for the heavy-duty springs and metal by giving better grip.

I held the .45 Auto Pistol flat across both my hands, examining it. It was a marvelous piece of machining and engineering. A several hundred-year-old piece of weaponry that stood the test of time, and laid low any would-be challengers. It was aesthetically pleasing, powerful, fast, and could take the wings off a bloat fly at fifty paces.

It also wasn't the gun I thought I'd brought with me.

Before I'd left Zion, I'd made sure to grab a few of them, in case I ever needed a back-up I could rely on. I'd grabbed two, plus some spare pieces, and I'd had a third gifted to me the night before I returned to the Mojave. I'd thought I'd grabbed the third one.

But, considering I'd been drunk at the time of packing my gear, I probably should've been happy I'd grabbed one at all.

I went back through the checklist of weapon usage, this time using a loaded magazine and leaving the chamber empty. With the .45 ready, I slid it into the back of my pants, using my belt and waistband to secure it. If Joshua knew I was doing this, he'd probably whoop my ass for both disrespecting a piece of his tribe's heritage and for flagrantly ignoring basic firearm safety. I'd probably let him do it too. But I couldn't wear it openly and I couldn't put it in my vest without it being obvious to the rest of the world. Leaving the safety on and the chamber empty was just going to have to do.

Hopefully I'd make it through the night without giving myself a new asshole.

But, perhaps going the extra nine yards to hide my weapons wouldn't be needed anyway. Maybe the weapons in general wouldn't be needed. Maybe I could have a good night out drinking without trouble.

And maybe the Brotherhood would stop being a bunch of zealotic jackasses, use technology for the betterment of others, and give humanity a fighting chance at recovery.

Anything is possible.

I closed up my locker and quickly made tracks back out of the locker room and onto the rest of my evening.

The workshop hadn't been locked up when I'd used it earlier in the week, but I'd expected it to be over the weekend. It was a bit strange for it to be open at all, given the near total lack of students on campus at the moment. But I wasn't going to complain. Having free and unrestricted access to tools and materials was convenient beyond belief.

I found Yang leaning against one of the workbenches, absently drumming her fingers across the countertop. She was dressed as she normally was outside of class. Short cut brown jacket and half-skirt, black too-short shorts and that extra lacey piece of fabric that constituted her 'butt-cape'. Orange stockings and scarf, boots, gloves, and perhaps most notably: her gauntlets.

Perhaps I'd been right to pack some heat myself.

But there was something else about her as well. Maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks on me, but she looked… different. Not in a bad way either. Her features appeared softer than normal, perhaps a trick of the lowering light. Her violet eyes seemed to smolder, rimmed by shadowy rings. Her skin seemed to glisten in the light of the setting sun, shining like a crystal with a million muted facets. Her blonde hair cascaded down around her shoulders in golden locks, flowing both ahead and behind them. It may have also been my imagination, but her clothes seemed to accentuate her. Her stocking and shorts showing every curve of her legs and waist. Her jacket hugging her, framing her chest and emphasizing her... um… health.

It was enough to make me stop in my tracks and just look at her for a moment.

She looked at me as I came through the doorway, the light of the setting sun catching her hair and setting it into a golden blaze. It framed her face as a soft, friendly smirk crossed her face.

"About time you showed up." She said cheekily "You know it's rude to keep a pretty girl waiting, right?"

I stayed quiet for a moment while my head tried to catch up with the rest of the world. A lesser man would've felt embarrassed. His face would probably get a little warm and he'd stumble over his words as he tried to keep his tongue from lolling out of his mouth.

I was not a lesser man. Yang was cute, but it wasn't enough to stop me. My face was most certainly not warm.

"Funny-" I said, gruff "Wonder if anyone told her it helps to tell people _where_ she's waiting?"

She gave me a saccharine smile and rolled her head back and forth, humming while she did it.

I forcibly buried any thoughts rising up from her appearance, keeping a cool mask of indifference. It helped that I was already wearing a mask. But the effect she was having? She shouldn't have been. I'd been around Vegas long enough to become desensitized to a little excess skin showing. There was no reason why her playing the whole 'pretty girl' routine right now should have been bothering me.

'… come to think of it, why _is_ she-'

"You ready?" Yang asked, rising from the workbench and stretching her arms over her head. Languidly flaunting her figure. Because I knew that's what she was doing.

"Depends, you never really told me about where it is we're going beyond it serving drinks."

Yang smiled playfully "A place I know. It's in Vale, not too far from the docks, actually."

"So the 'shady' part of town?" I asked, remembering how she'd phrased it.

"That's the place" She said, still smiling.

"Ok, well, how are we getting there?" I asked, gesturing around the workshop "The airships aren't running now, and this place wasn't built on wheels."

Rather than just answer me, she just gave a chuckle, beckoned with a hand, and began to sashay towards a set of bay doors on the far wall.

Like a moron, I followed her.

I'd never been particularly sure why the bay doors were part of the room. With all the tools and equipment lying around, I'd assumed the workshop double for mechanic work as well. Except I hadn't seen any vehicles around campus, or heard of anyone driving. Pretty much any traveling that needed to be done was handled by airship or walking. I didn't even think we had a place to store vehicles

Yang hoisted the bay door upward and reveled that we, in fact, did. Beyond the bay door was a simple gravel lot, surrounded on all sides by stone walls. A simple opening at the far end leading to a dirt path, sparsely lit with lamp posts akin to those that littered the rest of the grounds intermittently. The large lot was pretty much empty, the gravel undisturbed by everything but the elements. The sole exception stood off in the corner, covered by a stretch of blue canvas. Considering Yang and I were approaching it, I could safely assume it was her 'answer'.

Yang undid a few straps securing the tarp to the object it was protecting, then whipped the sheet free. I could safely say what I saw was a surprise. There were probably hundreds of the things lying around the Mojave.

"Is that… a motorcycle?" I asked.

"Duh~" Yang said, smirking as she folded the tarp.

The motorcycles back in the Mojave were, much like everything else, leftovers from before the war. Leftovers that were sustained by cannibalizing one another and filling the gaps with scrap metal, but leftovers anyway. They were bulky, much like the shells of the cars that also littered the Mojave. But unlike them, the bikes were clearly much more rugged and meant to handle going off-road for more than a few feet. The tires spanned damn near ten inches across, the headlights were reinforced, and metal paneling protected the engine from the elements. They were meant to take a beating and, as a testament to how many of them there still were, they had.

Yang's motorcycle though, by comparison, seemed almost anathema to the ones in the wasteland. The bike was sleek. Unlike the blocky paneling of the bikes in the Mojave, Yang's bike had curves. The body panels contouring around the bike smoothly, flaring only slightly at the front to direct the wind away from the rider. The panels were the color of a sunrise, or perhaps a sunset. A warm, orange-yellow hue that deepened to a warm red just under the seat. The paint then lightening back as it traveled outward once more. It made the dark steel undercarriage appear tenebrous by contrast. The metal itself appeared flimsy, but I could see the way it was reinforced, reaching and wrapping around itself to form a solid whole. Its wheels were almost as large as the ones from the wasteland, even sporting similarly solid rims. The headlight was protected by what appeared to be a curved pane of glass that fed seamlessly into the panels covering the front wheel and handlebar. It was shiny, new, and looked like it could go fast enough to reach escape velocity.

Strange as it was, some part of me was glad to know that it didn't matter what world it was. That there was always an idiot who decided to strap a high-powered motor onto a pair of wheels. Then proceed to provide no protection in the event of a crash, strip the braking system down to something better suited for a shopping cart, and then crank all of the torque and horsepower into the rear wheel. Yep, didn't matter what world it was, there's always someone in it with an adrenaline-fueled death wish.

"… well, I can certainly say I hadn't been expecting this." I said finally, walking around the bike as I examined it. "Though I won't say it doesn't suit you either."

"Aww, thank you." Yang said, flashing me another sunny smile.

"Is it fast?" I asked, kneeling down to eye the engine. It was my first time getting a look at a dust engine, even from the outside.

"Oh _yeah_ ~." Yang answered, putting the tarp into a compartment behind the front panels.

"I'm almost afraid to ask how you got it… or if you know how to drive."

Yang gave me a skeptical look, then smirked again. "I bought it, duh. And of course I know how to ride, how do you think I got it here?"

"Oookay, but where did you get the money-"

Yang interrupted me, putting a finger to her lips and shushing me. "It's a secret, now come on, Vale's not getting any closer."

I thought about it for a moment, then motioned for her to lead on. I wasn't going to let it lie forever, probably, but tonight had more important things transpiring than 'why?' right now. I could worry about what bank she robbed, or stores she ripped off later. Right now, it was wheels and a means, which was all I required.

From the same compartment she'd placed the tarp in, Yang retrieved a yellow half dome helmet. It had a black, blazing heart emblazoned on it, much like her clothing proper.

"… do you even need that?" I asked, watching as she strapped the yellow semi-dome to her head "Wouldn't your aura protect you if you fell off?"

Yang gave me a look that asked if I was an idiot. "Of course I need it, it's basic bike safety. I'd offer you one, but you already have one sooo…"

Without the slightest hint of irony, she then pulled a pair of aviator sun glasses from seemingly nowhere and paired them with her helmet.

This despite the fact, of course, the sun was most of the way set now.

I backed away from the engine and Yang mounted the machine. Easily levering herself overtop of the bike and onto the seat. Her thumbs flicked over a couple of small switches, and the gauges on the handle bars snapped to life.

She depressed a final button, and the bike roared to life. When I say roar, I mean roar. Despite lacking in anything resembling life, the machine gave a short, almost triumphant bellow of life. It only did it for a second, before dying back to an aggressive rumble akin to rolling thunder. It had only lasted a moment, but I'm fairly certain I'd unconsciously taken a step back regardless.

The bike didn't look like any from the Mojave, and sure didn't sound like one either.

"You getting on?" Yang asked, giving yet another playful smirk

I then became acutely aware of another fact: The bike's seat was quite small. Just barely big enough to fit two people. If you didn't mind sacrificing some personal space. That was also aside from the fact I was going to be riding bitch.

I mantled onto the portion of seat behind Yang easy enough. Where I sat was slightly higher than where Yang sat, but I could still put my feet flat on the ground. I could feel the vibrations of the motor through the soft cushioning of the leather seat. A rumbling staccato of steel.

"You ever ride on a bike before?" Yang asked "Or are you going to cause an accident?"

"Maybe." I said, a tad sarcastic "I just have to keep balance with you, right?"

"Yep."

"Alright, so what do I hold on to-o-o-WHOA!"

Not even bothering to answer me, Yang twisted the throttle and the bike's rear tire howled. We wrenched around in a cloud of hot rubber and shot off towards the gate at the far end of the lot. I just barely kept my balance with Yang's as I clung to something as if my life suddenly depended on it. Considering flying into something at high speed _might_ kill me, it probably was.

The bike ripped past the gateway, skidding across the loose packed stone and dirt as Yang cut into the trail. The moment we were righted, she gunned the engine and we shot forward even faster. The engine roaring defiantly at the encroaching night. The headlight carving a yellow cone through the looming shade, illuminating the rough, pitted path that we raced down at break-neck speed. Trees and undergrowth whipping past us as we leaned into another curve.

I could feel my heart racing. I could barely remember the last time I'd moved this fast. Felt the wind against me like an unyielding torrent. It reminded me of some of the calmer winds of the divide. Barring the removal of my skin by millions of grains of sand. The rumble of the engine making the bike itself feel almost alive. Its darting movements: corrections in its stride as Yang drove. The world around us only a darkening blend of inky pitch. All of it blending together into an indecipherable blur as we raced down the path, save only for the light the guided our way.

' _Definitely_ not like any bike in the Mojave.'

The bike jounced and jostled suddenly, before the tire bit into more beaten and hard packed earth. Yang slowed us to a stop as we came to what must have been a main pathway now, rather than the side-path we'd been on. Yang motioned her head side to side, searching for something briefly. Perhaps other drivers. Satisfied at the lack of other motorists, she looked over her shoulder at me.

"Should only take about half an hour to get there, as long as you don't mind going fast?"

"What do I look like, a wimp?" I growled, trying to sound more confident than I felt. The adrenaline pummeling my nervous system like a twenty-pound mallet on a two-inch nail.

She just gave a soft chuckle, then turned back to the road ahead and got us moving. It took me a moment after that to realize what I was holding onto for dear life.

It was Yang's waist.

For the sake of propriety, I carefully shifted my grip to the edge of the seat. Locking my fingers down like a vice as we continued onward into the yawning darkness of the night.

* * *

 **Hey guys, sorry for the slightly longer than average delay. I'd wanted to get the entire chapter done and then break it up into pieces and release them over the course of a few weeks. Except then reality decided to but in and that kind of fell by the wayside. So rather than have you wait X number of months for X chapters, I decided to just break it up now and send the first piece out. So sorry for the extended wait, hopefully things pickup in that department soon.**

 **Life, what can you do?**

 **"Lone Commentor": Replaying it once or twice now, it wasn't as bad as I remember. The first time I'd played it though, Six had been under level by about ten or so. Which has summarily scarred the Madre into my brain as a goddamn nightmare. Didn't know if that was clear or not.**

 **"The Baz": played it in the background and re-read the story. This is officially the way to read it now.**

 **"ShadyXLR": I wonder indeed...**

 **"Gray28Wolf08": It's all good, we all have off mornings sometimes :)**

 **"DarkromDemon": My dear sir, I must vehemently object to such accusations. I have no such tendencies and you have no way to prove otherwise.**

 **"Larry the Mailman": And I like your mustache :D**

 **Also, how the hell has this thing reached over a thousand people now!? Seriously, that's something I'd figured would never happen. Thank you guys for being patient and for sticking with me. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you guys make this worthwhile.**

 **This Fanfic has been brought to you by Dhatri's Counseling Services: Burying your issues one order at a time.**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	27. Intermission 7-2: Drink in the Glass

***Special Thanks to Mecharic for Beta-ing***

The ride into Vale was smooth. We somehow managed to avoid running into any Grimm, which was a surprise. In every story you hear, scary or no, traveling through the poorly lit, heavily wooded and obscuring forest at night was suicidal. It was always prime time for beasties to make lunch out of the saps dumb enough to travel there. I could even attest to its veracity back in the Mojave, having made the occasional mistake of trekking the wasteland at night.

'Stupid deathclaws and their fucking promontory.'

But we encountered no resistance on the way into Vale regardless. Maybe it should've been expected, Vale was a big place and had to have some kind of standing force hunting the Grimm in the region. They had their, completely incompetent, police force to act within the city, so maybe they had some contracted hunters working outside of it. Or maybe that was an additional obligation for working at Beacon. There had to be something waiting on standby in case the Grimm got ornery. Given that they were supposedly attracted to negative emotion, violence, and generally wanton mayhem, it would make place like Vale easily identified targets. Large population center, cramped quarters, crime, and suffering; Vale was basically a negativity buffet. Maybe not a large, active one most of the time, but it still qualified.

Part of me shuddered at the thought of how well the Grimm would do in the wasteland. They'd practically be apex predators there.

The ride only took about half an hour, like Yang said, to reach the outskirts of Vale. Riding the whole distance, Fingers clenched against the seat, wasn't terribly comfortable. But I survived, which was important. Vale looked about as I remembered it to as we rolled in. It seemed being away from it for the length of a week hadn't damaged my memory of it at least. Though this was the third time I was in the city proper at night. The first being when I first got here. My night at the docks didn't quite count considering how I'd spent it, before getting rushed back to the academy.

Vale during the night appeared a tad more malevolent than its sun-bathed counterpart. Even though there were streetlights every dozen or so feet, they were only along the main streets. It only served to make the alleys and corners the light couldn't reach appear more obscure. Speaking from experience, it was easier to look into the light from the dark than the other way around. I preferred not to be stuck in the latter either. It had a tendency to make me paranoid.

Thankfully, we were only passing through the residential area. As soon as we got out of it, and into the 'shady' part of vale, most of the streetlights died out. Not that they weren't there, but rather they weren't lit. The area itself looked to be a slightly older portion of Vale's business district. The buildings looking structurally sound, if weathered, and most of the lights having burned out. Likely, most people had no business being here at night unless they were up to something they shouldn't have been.

How fitting.

Yang whipped the bike around another corner and wrenched us to a stop on the side of the street. We were far enough off the beaten path that we were enveloped of the shade of the evening. The shattered moon refracting silvery white light down onto us. The main source of light around us at the moment, with all of the burned-out lampposts standing unlit and silent. Likely out of pragmatism on the city's part. No sense in wasting resources on a portion of the city no one should be in at night.

Not necessarily _smart_ pragmatism, just pragmatism.

There were only a few other lights along the street, amidst the worn brick and steel the built Vale. Most of it tertiary and without purpose. Lights that were left on by mistake earlier in the day, or indicating a flow of power between machinery and structures.

There was one however, that appeared deliberate. It hung from a building across the street from us. A single, lengthy red neon sign depicting naught but an arrow, pointed at a set of plain doors below it. The doors themselves appeared black, perhaps to dissuade those who did not know what it meant from entering.

Yang killed the bike and dismounted it, I followed suit.

"This the place?" I asked, stretching my tightened limbs and flexing my stiff fingers.

"Yup." Yang said brightly, removing her helmet and glasses. "Just past those doors."

"Hrm. Anything I should know about before we go in?"

Yang dusted herself off a little, looking thoughtful, "… Nah, we should be fine. Just follow my lead."

We crossed the street and opened the doors the arrow was pointing to. What waited beyond it was an open room. Coat racks and hangers lined the room, sporting a variety of outerwear. It was dimly lit, with only a handful of lights glowing coldly down on the room. At the far end was another set of doors. Unlike the ones leading outside though, these were even less inviting. Resembling two plates of steel on rollers rather than an entryway. Like something you'd see in a makeshift fortress or vault. Each plate was flanked by a man in a black suit, red tie, and black fedora. Both of them looked bored, and a little tired one man was wearing a pair of equally red sunglasses, obscuring his eyes. The other wasn't.

So when I saw his eyes pop open like someone just pointed a gun at him, it was very easy to notice.

"Hey boys!" Yang announced with a large, challenging smile

Said boys responded by giving each other a quick look, then struggling to get the doors open. Not so silently cursing like a pair of frightened teenagers. They literally shoved one another out of the way to get through it first and disappeared from sight. Leaving the door ajar behind them.

"… Yang, what did you _do_?" I asked, sparing a worried glance over to Yang

"Oh, you know, had some fun." Yang answered cheerily

"What _kind_ of fun?"

Yang just gave me a smirk and walked toward the doorway. "I thought you didn't mind a little danger?" She said back, playful.

I got the feeling I'd once again walked myself into a situation I normally would've avoided.

'Do it for the whisky, Six'

Knowing not what Yang was leading me into, I steeled myself and joined her at the door. Through the partially parted partition I could hear what sounded like music. But no music I was familiar with. I could out some instrumentation here and there, some guitar, some drums, and possibly some bass. But overall it was indistinct, sounding as though it were from instruments I should recognize, but not. As though someone had ripped the soul away from the instruments in question and replaced them with faulty electric based white noise. All the while being warped, warbled and distorted in a way that kept it in the time, rhythm, and flow of a real musical piece.

With minimal effort, Yang and I slid the doors open. The 'music' flooding past us in a wave of sound. What lay past the doors was a sight in contrast to the older building that housed it.

The door we were entering through was elevated, compared to the rest of the place, requiring a set of stairs to connect it to the floor. The entire place was done in a trio of colors: black, white, and crimson red. The walls and fixtures were pitch black, and difficult to distinguish from the surroundings. Only beings so by the white glow that highlighted things like railings or pillars, or the massive light fixture overhead. The floor itself was not spared of this either, a massive block of backlit panels constituted what appeared to be a dance floor in the center of the area. They glowed stark white against the rest of the disorienting black floor that encompassed it. Further reinforced by the floor's near mirror like polish. The dance floor was cornered by four glassy pillars that were framed with what appeared to be scaffolding. There was a series of spotlights hanging overhead from the aforementioned fixture. They themselves cast an ever-changing mixture of white and red light down onto the room. They had a bizarre effect to them, it seemed. Save for the occasional splash of color, everything appeared awash in black, white, and shades of grey.

Or perhaps that was the just the goggles of my gasmask playing tricks on me.

Everything about the room felt new though. Too shiny, too intact, too… clean. As though it had all been replaced recently.

It gave me a feeling that reminded me of the strip back home. Though of no place specific either. It wasn't as ritzy as the Ultra Lux, even if it was cleaner. It wasn't as bombastically entertaining as the Tops, even if the 'music' was louder. It wasn't even as Seedy as Gomorrah, though that wasn't something a few stripper poles couldn't fix. Instead, it seemed to land itself somewhere in the middle of all three. I wasn't sure if that should've been impressively disappointing or depressingly astounding.

At least it was leagues better than the Atomic Wrangler and its crotch rot rodeo.

There were not many people either. It was relatively early in the night yet, and there maybe a few dozen people out on the dance floor. But the majority of them appeared to be wearing suits like the ones worn by the two that's been standing by the door. So it would be more accurate that maybe a dozen people were currently here. The rest were for some… other purpose.

At the far end of the room was another risen section. There, another man in a suit stood behind a table. I at least assumed he was a man anyway. He was wearing a mask three times the size of his head in the shape of a Teddy bear. Similarly itself colored black and red. Beneath the raised section, likely built into it for structure, was what I could recognize as a bar. Either that or I needed to see someone to work out some issues.

'Immediately assuming a bottle lined wall is a 'bar' is normal, right?'

Yang and I descended the white-lit stairs and began to cross the room. Her golden hair standing out against the myriad of white and black like a candle in an unlit room. We crossed the sparsely filled dance floor with ease. The few people that were here seemed more interested in swaying to the music than interfering with a couple of kids that just walked in.

Up ahead of us at the bar, I spotted the two guys we'd encountered at the front door frantically talking to a third. This newcomer was a literal Yao Guai of a man, flanked by two smaller, identical looking women. He was tall, rough estimate made him only a few inches shorter than Lanius had been. He was broad too, looking like he made it his business to turn trees into toothpicks. His head was rectangular and blocky, with a wide jaw and forehead. His jaw lined by a short but full black beard and moustache. His flinty gray eyes and mouth matched them perfectly. His pale complexion and close-cropped black hair were in perfect harmony with the rest of the club. He wore similar clothing to the two men he was speaking with. Save for a jacket, he wore a black vest and white button up with a red tie. The women were maybe two thirds his height, at best. Both wore similarly designed short dresses with frayed netting at the bottom. They too kept with the trichromatic theme, to an extent. With one being colored in mingled black and red shades, and the other in White and icy grey. They both also wore boots. That added an extra four inches to the bottoms of their feet, helping to alleviate the gap between them and the big man. Beyond that though, their faces came across as identically bland. Cute for certain, but I got the feeling that if either of them disappeared from my line of sight and re-appeared in different attire, I wouldn't recognize them.

As we drew closer, he and the other two took note of us. I might not always be particularly perceptive, but even I could notice the look of pure anger that flickered through his eyes. Before the other two could begin pissing themselves though, the big man said something to them. It looked like a command of some kind. He then made a dismissive motion, and the other two scurried off as we approached the bar. I took note of it as much out of habit as to keep my healthily growing paranoia quiet.

"Hey Junior~" Yang said in an overly sweet, almost saccharine tone "You miss me?"

The giant dubbed 'Junior' bared his teeth in a snarl and glared at Yang. "Blondie."

"Aw, don't be upset" Yang teased "You're gonna make me cry."

" _You're_ not welcome here." Junior growled back "Leave. Now."

Yang eyed Junior with a challenging smirk. "I think you're forgetting something, Junior."

Junior's snarl lessened into a sneer as he hid his teeth. His eyes sank away from Yang. The next time he spoke; his voice, though still demanding, had lost much of its bite. "Leave. Now… sir."

I couldn't help but look back and forth between him and Yang for a moment. Here was this literal giant of a man, real hardy looking type. He carries himself with an air of power, dresses himself to the nines, and clearly held command over others. He was in, what was probably, his home field. He clearly had people on standby, if the two chuckleheads before us were an example. If there was ever going to a place where was supposed to be, or at least feel, untouchable, this was it.

And Yang, five-foot eight Yang, with nothing but a few words and a show of confidence, was cowing him into compliance. This was in addition to getting him to admit that Yang was superior to him. Even knowing Yang was fully capable of punching me through a wall, it did nothing to diminish my surprise.

It just made me morbidly curious as to just what she'd done to him, and disconcertingly scared to ask.

'… I'm probably just over thinking this.'

"We're just here to have a good time." Yang politely told Junior "No need to lose your cool over it."

"With all due respect… _sir_ " Junior seethed through gritted teeth, gaze still averted "I think it'd be best if you leave."

"Mmm… too bad." Yang said brightly, shrugging her shoulders "I'm staying."

"That's not a good idea." Junior growled

"Is that a threat?" Yang asked playfully

After a momentary silence, Junior shrank back again.

"It was only a few windows Junior, no need to be so dramatic."

'…alright, enough of this.'

"Are you the bartender?" I asked Junior, stepping up closer to the bar "'Cause I would like to place an order."

Junior switched his gaze from the ground and up to me. Unlike with Yang, he had no problem showing me his contempt. "No, and who're you?"

"… Crazy Steve." I continued "Can you serve me a drink or not?"

"I just said I'm not the bartender." Junior growled

"Then what _are_ you?" I asked, slightly annoyed

"... I am the owner of this club."

"… The _owner_?" I parroted

"Yes."

"As in the one who owns this building?"

" _Yes._ "

"The one who pays all the bills?"

" _YES._ "

"And purchases all of the supplies needed to keep this place running?"

" _YES!_ "

"Including all of the booze currently behind the bar?"

" _… YES YOU FUCKING MORON!_ "

"Ok, ok-" I said, placating "I'm just trying to wrap my head around why you can't serve me a drink."

Junior fixed me with a confused, but still clearly angry, look.

"I mean, you technically own the liquor and can do what you want with it. Up to and including serving a potential customer a drink."

Junior began glaring daggers at me, clearly, I'd made it onto his shit list in short order. Out of the corner of my vision though, I could've sworn Yang was trying not to laugh.

Junior turned to Yang finally, apparently to angry to look at the ground. "Who is this jackass?"

"Crazy Steve" I re-iterated "Now would you like to conduct business or continue acting like I'm not here?"

Junior fixed me with an annoyed glare, then stepped back from the bar a bit. "Can't."

"… Can't or won't?" I asked

Junior just kept getting more and more angry. " _Can't_. We're not stocked for the night yet, and the bar doesn't open for another hour."

"Tsk, then what good is this place?" I asked shaking my head "If I wanted to dance, I could do that anywhere."

"Oh fuck you."

"Language sir, there are lady-folk present."

Junior now gave me a near equal glare to the one he'd been giving Yang. The two girls I'd noticed earlier, the ones dressed in white and red, turned up their noses and strutted off in a huff.

For her part, Yang put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a disarmingly warm smile.

"It's not the end of the world." Yang said sweetly "That just means we get to spend some more time hanging out before the fun starts."

"Last time I'm going to say it." Junior growled "Get out of my bar."

"Is that a threat?" Yang asked

"… no sir."

Without another word, Yang turned back to the dance floor behind us and began walking. I stayed for a moment, eyeing Junior. My paranoia screamed at me that his word wasn't worth shit. That Yang was being too nonchalant with someone she shouldn't be. That being here at _all_ was a bad idea and we should just head back to Beacon.

I was able to drown that out though, by remembering the reason I came here in the first place. Maybe it was shady, but I had no other options at the moment for getting drunk. If I was going to dance with the fiery mistress that was alcohol, I was going to have to skirt the line between stupid and dangerous. Thin though it may be.

I turned away from Junior and followed Yang out onto the dance floor.

"So what else is there to do here?" I asked, catching up with her

She turned slightly, and gave me a look that asked if I was playing with a full deck.

"… Aside from dancing." I clarified

"What's the matter? ~" Yang teased "Afraid you'll get shown up?"

"I-it doesn't have to be a competition."

Truth was, despite my status as an Acrobatic Marvel, I had a pair of vary large and uneven left feet. I'd gone out dancing once or twice at the Tops, after I'd gotten them some better acts. The general consensus my companions had was that when it came to the dance floor, I had all the natural grace of a drunk, overweight pack Brahmin. I wasn't going to argue with them either, I felt like one whenever someone tried to make me dance. I could move well enough in a fight, and was good about keeping my feet underneath me. But, for some inexplicable reason, my brain had a disconnect when it came to applying it to music.

"Well I think it should be." Yang said confidently, beginning to sway to the 'music'. "You're the one complaining about having to wait."

"Doesn't mean I want to dance."

"Wah wah~" Yang said sarcastically, giving me this smoldering glance. She gave me a beckoning motion and began to dance backwards, deeper into the expanse of the dance floor.

I spared one more glance back, not wanting to keep Junior out of my sights for too long.

He was still behind the bar, glaring at us, fuming.

I shook my head, psyching myself up, and followed Yang onto the dance floor.

…

It only took about five minutes for the droning din of the 'music' to give me a headache. Which I interpreted as my Brain's attempt to re-escape the captivity of my skull. It occasionally sounded like there were lyrics to the 'song', but they were impossible to make out. Coming through as white noise amidst the rest of the mess.

I hadn't really kept good track of how much time we'd been there. I only kept a vague watch as more people filtered in off of the street. The rest of my attention had been focused on making sure none of the wanna-be omertas in this place weren't trying to get the drop on us. Yang was willing to be nonchalant about them, but I wasn't.

It also gave me an excuse to focus on something other than our 'dancing'.

Dancing back in Vegas was different than here. It was more rooted in styles from the big band clubs that existed before the war. Meaning lots of footwork and dancing with a partner more often than not. Using each other to pull off a complicated series of movements, to create a beautiful display.

Dancing here was more like what you'd see the girls outside Gomorrah doing. Fitting, I suppose, given that the people running this place were so similar to the Omertas. While there was still footwork, it was much less emphasized. Replaced instead, by an emphasis on the rest of the body and the use of sinuous, smooth movement. A wave of the head. A flutter of the shoulders. A shake of the hips. A gliding of feet. All pulled together into a seamless, provocative set of movements that caught the eye as much as pleased it.

I only really noticed though, because Yang was making it apparent that's exactly what dancing was here. Either that or she was doing it on purpose.

I on the other hand, bobbed and wove slightly while snapping my fingers.

It was as hideous as it sounds.

The best I could do was try and keep in rhythm with the beat of the music, which probably made it worse. But after a while the dance floor was crowded enough that I don't think anyone was really paying attention. Aside from Yang anyway, who looked like she was trying not to laugh in my face.

"You could've just said you can't dance!" Yang shouted over the music.

"Ah, Shut it." I said back.

"What!?" Yang shouted again.

"I said shut it!" I shouted back.

"Aw, don't' be upset!" Yang said "It's not like anyone's watching!"

I gave a cursory glance around the room. The thugs were still around, here and there, but none of them seemed to be watching us. If they were, they were smart enough to not make it obvious.

"So, what do you think!?" Yang asked, over the music

"About what?"

"What!?"

"…"

I stopped snapping and lead Yang to a corner of the dance floor, far enough from the music I could hear my thoughts again.

"I said, about what?" I repeated.

"Oh, uh, about the club, duh."

"Oh… well, I've seen better." I answered after a moment "Seen worse too."

"Really?" Yang asked "You've got clubs back where you're from?"

"…Maybe not clubs, but places like this." I answered, carefully "They're not exactly my kind of place though."

"Really, so what is?"

"… I really don't see how that's much of your business."

"Aw, come on, it's a simple question."

"Yea, but I still don't feel like answering."

Yang gave me a deadpan look "Why not?"

"Because I don't feel like it."

"But why?"

"Again, none of your business."

Yang gave me a playful smirk. "It's not like I'm asking you some deep dark secret, I just want to know more about you… No need to dance around my questions."

I glared at Yang. "I'm not dancing, I'm just refusing to answer."

"Of course not" Yang said rolling her eyes "You're just waltzing around them."

"… Stop that."

"Or maybe it's the samba?"

"Stop or you're going to see me hustle my way out of here."

Yang started smiling playfully.

"… That wasn't a pun and you know it."

She gave a bemused chuckle and a wink "One day Six, one day."

"Hrm." I grunted.

"… hey" Yang said, giving me a pat on the back "I'm just trying to get you to loosen up, we're supposed to be having fun."

"I am- or at least, I'm trying to. This isn't my normal idea for having a good time."

"Then what is?"

I looked at Yang for a moment. Her tone was relaxed, playful even. Like she was trying to make sure I was actually enjoying myself.

"… Maybe some reading." I answered gruffly "Some weapon maintenance, some cooking, Things I can do by myself sometimes, y'know?"

"By yourself?" Yang asked, eyeing me "Why?"

"Maybe I just prefer being alone."

"But everything's more fun when you've got friends involved."

"Not always Yang." I answered, starting to feel a bit sour "There's plenty of times when I'm pretty sure I'm better off without company."

Yang quirked an eyebrow and smirked at me "That sounds pretty sad. You're better company than some people I know." She motioned back towards the bar.

"Doesn't make me good company Yang. I'm not a very good person a lot of the time."

"…I'm pretty sure that's a lie. You've got friends back where you're from, remember?"

"There's a difference between being civil and good, Yang. And I'm a terrible friend on top of that."

"I wonder, what they would have to say about that?"

"They'd agree with me." I said flatly.

"I find that hard to believe. They wouldn't be your friends otherwise, would they?"

"…"

"Why don't you tell me about it then?" Yang said, giving me a warm, welcoming smile "Maybe over a drink, since I think the bar is open now."

She quirked her head playfully back to the bar again, and I took note of the fact the shelves were now lined with bottles.

"… I'm not buying you a drink." I said, noncommittally

"Hmph, jerk." She said back, still playful "I'll pay you back. Strawberry sunrise, no ice… please?"

"… aight." I sighed, just a little defeated, and started walking to the bar.

"Oh, and get one of those little umbrellas in it if you can!"

I spared Yang a confused look but kept walking.

'Little umbrellas? … wait, what the hell is a strawberry sunrise?'

As I crossed the floor back to the bar, the 'music' became insufferable. Of course, walking closer to the speakers would have something to do with that. I kept an eye out for any of Junior's boys. They were keeping distance, but until I had a grasp of who Junior was and what Yang did, I wasn't taking chances. The only thing on our side at the moment would be that there was a crowd around us. Even if no one would be paying us any particular mind, there was less of a likelihood anything would happen with everyone here. Even then, that could easily be a false re-assurance if Junior was particularly vicious.

I strode back up to the bar, there were only a few people standing around it. Dyed black as shadows through the weird lighting of the club. Junior was still behind the bar, but one of his boys in the suits was manning it. The bartender was polishing one of a myriad of cocktail glasses as I leaned against the wooden bar. He spared me a glance, before looking to Junior, as if he was unsure if I was allowed to be there. Junior, in turn, fixed me with a glare.

"… We going to have a problem?" I asked

"Depends on whether or not you and Blondie are going to leave soon." He growled back.

"I believe that's 'sir' to you."

Junior said nothing in response, but glowered at me instead. Unfortunately for him, I've faced down raiders with scarier _smiles_ than him. He was trying to be intimidating, but he was just annoying me.

"Might want to work on your attitude, Junior." I continued, coolly "If this is how you treat your customers it's a miracle you're still in business."

"You're getting involved in something you shouldn't, kid." Junior answered gruffly "I suggest you walk out of here while you can."

'Gee, that doesn't sound like a threat at all.' I thought.

"Let's keep suggestions to ourselves, eh?" I answered "I'm just getting some drinks, and going back to enjoying me evening. No reason for everything to take a turn."

Junior glared at me for a moment longer, then made a motion to the bartender, who looked more willing to take my order now.

"Strawberry sunrise, no ice, and with an umbrella for the lady." I said "For myself: Whisky, neat, any label is fine."

The bartender glanced back and forth between me and Junior for a moment, rocking his jaw. He waited until Junior made a motion with his hand, then started mixing a drink. Likely what was going to be Yang's 'Sunrise'.

"… She ordered the same thing the last time she was in here." Junior said, eyeing me. "Right down to the umbrella."

"Hmm." I grunted in reply "Did you give it to her?"

"…"

"I'll take that as a no. Not a bright idea on your part."

"Whatever."

"… Actually, out of curiosity, what _did_ she do the last time she was here?"

Junior eyed me, part curious and part dismissive. "She didn't tell you?"

"Nope, didn't even know this place existed until tonight." I said, stretching a little "So that'd make you the first person to fill me in on what's going on."

Junior looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Go ahead, tell me a completely unbiased and honest story. I'm listening."

"Hmph, alright." Junior leaned against the bar "Here's a story for you."

I listened, prepared to take everything Junior said with a grain of salt.

"So, it was just another ordinary night. I'd been conducting business as usual here, and had just finished working out an arrangement with a fellow businessman. -"

'I'm sure both were totally legitimate.'

"- When blondie strolls in. In case you can't tell… uh, Steve, was it?"

"That's right."

"Right, well, in case you haven't noticed, my targeted clientele is slightly different from your friend. So, after she tried to order a drink, I _politely_ asked her to leave."

"… I'm guessing that didn't go well."

I saw Junior's eye twitch as his face picked up a snarl. "She was looking for someone, and didn't like the fact that I didn't know anything about who she was looking for…" Junior leaned in closer to me, and I could feel the malice radiating off of him. "So she wrecked my club, costing me thousands of lien to repair, beat the tar out of at least half of my boys, including my ladies Miltiades and Melanie, and tried to crush my manhood with her iron _fucking_ hands."

Junior stared straight ahead into the lenses of my mask. Whether because he was trying to be intimidating or not, I wasn't sure. But despite the clear anger in his tone, his voice was calm and even. He spoke smoothly in addition to that. Not like someone who was trying to make-up the events they were describing. He spoke like he was very vividly recounting something that'd happened to him. Speaking from some personal experience, I was inclined to believe Yang might've done some of what he said, but that didn't mean I believed all of it. The man had reason to be biased.

"… I'll take your word for it." I said evenly "I've been put through enough walls to know she could do some of that."

"She did _all_ of it." Junior growled "So I'll say it again, _Leave_. You'll save yourself some trouble."

'… Yea, totally not a threat.'

"Ahem." A third voice coughed.

I turned to it, and saw the bartender waiting with two glasses of drink. One was a vibrant red, doubly so because of the lighting, with a garishly colored paper umbrella and black straw. The other came through as a pale shade of gray, but I could guess it was an amber color. Beyond that it had nothing special to it. I fished a lien out of my pocket and put it in the bartender's tip jar. I wasn't paying for the drinks, considering Junior was trying to threaten me. But the bartender hadn't screwed with me yet, so he could at least get something for his services.

"Last warning." Junior rumbled.

"Yea, I'll keep that in mind." I answered, not paying him any further mind. He wanted to scare me? Tough shit, I've had scarier hangovers.

I took the drinks and began back across the dance floor. I wasn't going to disregard what he'd said out of hand, but I was going to need to talk to Yang about it now. Because if there was one thing that conversation had clarified beyond doubt, it was that Junior was _pissed_. Whatever Yang did, I needed to know as soon as possible.

I crossed back over the dance floor and found Yang absently playing with her hair. As soon as she saw me, she stopped and adopted a playful appearance once more. I held out her drink and she took it with a smile.

"Thanks." She said, taking a sip from the glass through the straw

"Hmm." I grunted, swirling my drink in its glass. Watching the muted light dance off the liquid in it.

"Did you just order straight alcohol?" Yang asked, looking at the contents of my glass.

"I like the burn."

"Wow… you're almost as bad as my uncle."

I looked up from my glass and found Yang was taking another sip from her drink. She was also staring at me rather… intently. Her smile slowly turned into a smirk.

"How are you supposed to drink that?" She asked

"…"

I stayed as outwardly calm as I could.

Internally, I was having a nuclear meltdown.

How the hell had I _not_ thought about how I was going to do this? Did I just assume Yang was going to turn away so I could quaff my drink? There was no way she'd agree to that, not with the unrepentant interest my teammates had in regards to my face.

But what was I going to do, undo the filters of my mask for the sole purpose of trying to _pour_ my drink into my face?

'… No that'd be stupid, I'd just make a mess'

"Something wrong Six?" Yang asked, smiling

"Nope, not a thing." I answered "Just- uh- handling some logistics issues."

"Uh huh, because it kind of seems like you're having a hard time figuring out how to drink out of a cup."

"That's not your concern."

"I think it is~"

"It's not."

"Hmm… then how about this?" Yang turned her back to me and began obviously staring off into space.

"And _this_ is what exactly?"

"I promise not to peek." Yang said playfully "Go ahead and enjoy your drink."

I stared at Yang's back for a moment. Absolutely not believing her for a minute, but desperately wanting to. "I'm… having trouble believing you."

"Tick tock, Six, keep a girl waiting and she'll change her mind. Call it a favor for a favor."

I stared at Yang a moment longer, then gave my drink a small look.

It looked so good.

'…dammit.'

I walked up to Yang and put my back to hers. I was taller than her by about a head and a half, and felt the back of her head betwixt my shoulder blades. She jolted a little in surprise and I could feel her head beginning to turn.

"Eyes forward." I said sharply "You want me to trust you, we do this my way right now."

She didn't say anything, but I felt her head move back the way it came. For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling she was smirking at me.

I wasn't worried about the rest of the club watching. Everyone else seemed too preoccupied with their own dancing, drinking, and debauchery to notice. Though it didn't make me anymore comfortable. It was probably stupid of me to be this overly cautious, especially with such a crowd. Considering the location we were in though and my own growing inkling that we weren't in good company, maybe I was justified.

'Oh well, in for a denarii'

I undid the strap of my helmet and mask with one hand. I pushed it up and over my mouth enough to shoot back the entire contents of the glass. Not a particularly bright decision, given I was 'shooting' about four times the amount of what was typically 'shot'. But I wanted to get everything re-belted as quick as possible. The end result: I got about half of it down. I Let the other half sit in my mouth for a moment as I tried to force the rest down. I could feel my mouth going numb as the alcohol rapidly sterilized it. But not as fast as I was accustomed to from the drink back home. This place must've watered its drinks down. I swallowed the rest of my drink and slapped my helmet back into place, biting back a small coughing fit.

Needless to say, I didn't do Cass proud.

As I belted my helmet back into place though, I could feel the liquid settling into a warm pit in my stomach. A nostalgic feeling of knowing washed over me. Soon that warmth would spread, and my sweet brown medicine would take the pain away. Leaving me three sheets to the wind.

I stepped away from Yang and turned to face her, she in turn did the same. Still sipping from her flamboyantly colored drink. She looked at the now empty glass in my hand and quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Thirsty?"

"A little." I grumbled "… So, spill it."

"Hmm?"

"You said a favor for a favor. You didn't make any attempts to see my face, so what do you want in return?"

Yang continued to stare at me quizzically for a moment. Then just chuckled a little more. "Why so serious?"

"Yang-"

"It's just a few questions I want to ask" Yang said, flashing me another warm smile "We can wait until later though, let's just enjoy the night"

I looked at Yang for a moment, as the warmth in my stomach became a sinking pit instead. "… What kind of questions?" I asked, more than a little frustrated.

"Huh?"

"I like to pay-up on favors as soon as possible Yang. What kind of questions do you want to ask?"

Yang's eye widened in surprise, perhaps she'd thought I'd just brush this off. "J-just a few questions, nothing important-"

"If they weren't important, you wouldn't need a favor to ask them."

"Just some questions."

"That's not an answer Yang."

"You're being overly serious about this."

"Or maybe I'm finally serious enough about it." I said, fixing Yang with an otherwise unseen look. I think the message got through anyway though, because she returned it to me in kind.

"You know, you're suddenly acting like a real jerk." Yang growled

"Funny, considering it kind of feels like you girls have been treating me that way recently."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I don't know-" I growled "-the odd behavior, the random questions, the talking and planning that's been going on behind my back. It kind of feels like you're trying to keep me out of the loop."

"We're not" Yang answered, defensive "But it's also not hard to do when you're barely present and refuse to answer things we ask you."

"I've answered any questions you've asked, and I'm willing to answer what you want to ask within reason."

"There it is!" Yang growled, snapping a little "'Within reason', There are things you don't want to tell us!"

"Hi pot, name's kettle" I growled "I'm entitled to my personal secrets, maybe I think there are things about me you don't _need_ to know."

"Then maybe you shouldn't be surprised when we get curious anyway."

I glared at Yang, and she in turn glared at me. After a relatively rocky start, tonight was turning sour. But I'd officially had it with whatever was going on where I wasn't looking. Looking at Yang, she was clearly angry. Being called out on something tended to have that effect. But there was something else mingled with the anger. I couldn't tell what though. It might've just been frustration or it might've been pain. Or maybe she was tired of whatever this was too, and just wanted to see it over with.

Perhaps it was all three.

"… Let me ask you something, Six." Yang said "Do you trust us?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." I said "When people aren't willing to be honest, it's hard to be trustful."

"Hmph, no kidding?"

"… You going to ask your question or not?"

Yang glared at me a moment longer, then took a deep breath. She let it out slowly. "Fine, Six…" She stopped with a blink, a confused look coming across her face. "What happened to the music?"

I gave Yang a confused look for a moment, then actually listened to the rest of the club. The 'music' had changed. To me, it still sounded like it was trying to murder my ears. But it had gone from passively trying to urge them to suicide, to actively trying to stab them to death.

A quick look around showed that other people had taken note of it too. Many had already made tracks to the door and left, others were in the process of it. The sinking feeling in my gut became more pronounced. Especially when I noticed Junior's boys were beginning to stare at us much more intently.

And they weren't keeping distance anymore.

'I fucking knew it.'

"I think it's time to head back." I said "You can ask your questions later."

Yang looked around at the approaching thugs and smirked viciously. "No, this is fine. I wanted to blow off some steam anyway."

"Yang-"

"I'll ask my questions when we're done. I said there was going to be some danger anyway, remember?"

She ditched the straw and quaffed the rest of her drink, gently putting her glass on the floor. I could already see Yang getting ready to fight. She hadn't readied her gauntlets yet, but she was loosening up. Stretching and flexing her arms and shoulders.

Every part of me was telling me it was time to leave. I wasn't sure what Yang was thinking but staying was a bad idea. It would be bad enough staying in territory where you're enemy had home field advantage. But something was wrong. They were getting as few outside people involved as possible. They'd been watching us the entire time we'd been here; I could tell easy enough. But they weren't trying to be subtle anymore.

I couldn't shake the feeling they knew something we didn't.

One more look around showed we were almost alone with Junior's boys. Apparently, people had picked up on the storm that was brewing and decided to leave before it hit. I saw a few of Junior's boys usher the last few out.

Then they locked the doors.

And the 'music' cut out.

Yang and I spared a glance up to the 'Mixer' over the bar and found Junior standing up there.

"I warned you." Junior said smoothly "Told you to get out of my bar. Whatever happens next is on you."

"What's the problem Junior?" Yang said, cheeky smirk on her face "I thought we had an understanding"

"We did, Blondie." Junior growled "But I think it's time for a new one."

Yang's smirk faded quickly. The pit in my stomach continued to drain ever downward.

"Yang" I started " _What_ did you _do_?"

"Oh, nothing much" Yang said "Wrecked the club, beat up his guys, punched him through a window-"

"Tried to crush his manhood?"

Yang gave me another confused look. "Uh… kind of?"

"… Fucking dammit Yang."

Suddenly I was kicking myself for going along with this. Guys like Junior were everywhere. Dime a dozen criminals and gangsters who wanted to prove their dick was bigger than everyone else's. So they make themselves a place where they're in charge, get some idiots to be in charge of, and make their own little enterprise of it. Thinking they'll be untouchable.

Then Yang kicks in the door, wrecks the place, gives them a brush with mortality, and holds him by his weak point.

If there is one thing you _never_ do to a guy like Junior, it's grip him by the mutfruits. Because chances are, he'll take it just a _little_ bit personally.

"I was hoping you wouldn't come back." Junior said "To be honest, you were bad for business the first time."

"Aw, you know how to make a girl feel special." Yang challenged.

"But I'm glad you did." Junior said, pulling an oversized baseball bat from the 'mixer' stand. "It gives us a chance to settle up."

"You could settle by just letting us walk." I interjected, watching as Junior's boys continued to close in "There's no guarantee this won't be even more costly than the first time."

"Oh yeah?" Junior asked "Why's that?"

"Because there's two of us now." I said, readying to pull out my .45 from its spot on my back "You couldn't stop Yang with all of your boys the first time. You think you can take two of us with less?"

I'd been calmly counting the number of guys he had in the room since we came in. From what I saw, he had fifteen people to call on. The two at the door. Three on either side of the dance floor. Two at the bar, plus the bartender. And another three I'd counted on the dance floor. The extra two were elsewhere, floating freely around the club.

Two on fifteen under normal circumstances would be an up-hill fight. But Yang had already tangoed with more than this on her own and had mopped the floor with them. Both of us together shouldn't have a problem.

So why didn't I feel secure in that?

"No, you're right." Junior said with a shrug. "I probably can't."

I heard the steel doors at the front open, and turned to watch as a wave of black suits walked into the club. Each visibly armed with pistols, swords, axes, or some form of machete. I couldn't count how many there were, but it looked like an extra _thirty_.

'Oh, that's why.'

"So that's why I made sure everyone was going to be here this time." Junior finished

"Is that all?" Yang asked, confidant to fault

"Maybe." Junior vaulted over the mixer and landed heavily on the floor in front of the bar. "Why don't you find out?"

Then Junior and his boys started trying to kill us.

The thug closest to me pulled a pistol from seemingly no-where and tried to jam it into my face. I responded by hurling the glass in my hand at his head. His aim went wide as the glass collided with and shattered on his face. Instead of drawing my .45 and repeating his mistakes though, I whipped the spiked knuckles out of my sleeves and dove at him. The steel rings slid over my fingers as I drove a right straight into the thug's stomach. I followed it with a left hook to his face. He stumbled back and tried to get his aim back, but I slapped the gun out of the way and slammed him with a Ranger Takedown. It sent him flying, but it did little to buy me breathing room. More of Junior's thugs came charging in to replace him. I backpedaled toward Yang as one of them made a swipe at me with a, vaguely katana like, sword.

I could hear Yang's gauntlets roar behind me as I backed towards her. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her swivel on a heel and deliver a chopping kick to a thug that tried to come at her from one side. A second attempted the same from the opposite side, likely hoping to catch her unawares. While Yang could probably have handled him, I intervened with a jab to the side of his head, disorienting him long enough for Yang to return to form and punch him with a blast from Ember Celica. He flew off into the on-rushing crowd as another three idiots took his place. Two with swords, the third with a pistol further behind.

Yang and I moved in tandem to the sword wielders. Normally, getting in close quarters with someone who has a longer reaching weapon was a bad idea. Of course, that's assuming the person using it actually knew how to. Given they were holding the blades one-handed, I assumed they didn't.

The thug I charged brought the sword to level with my helmet in an upward stroke. It reached further out with his one arm, but it was a clumsy and slower movement in exchange. I sidestepped the blade and clocked him on the jaw. Then followed it with a hook kick to the side, sprawling him to the floor. A third, axe kick to the head as he was prone made him stay there. With a double burst of her gauntlets, Yang launched past the other sword wielder and drove a knee into the sternum of the gunman. She followed it by planting both of her fists into his chest. The blast blew him back on his ass and launched her towards the sword wielder. She spun, bringing her fist up in a hook to his head. To his credit he dodged it by an inch. Which left him open to Yang's follow up with her other hand.

Which hit _much_ harder.

But even before that guy hit the ground, four _more_ came to replace the previous three, all of them armed with machetes. I only recognized them because the design was vaguely similar to the standard machetes the legion would use. The exceptions being the blades were notably longer, and had a notch chiseled deep into the spine near the tip. It looked to be sharpened too.

The four split into two pairs, and drove between me and Yang. They must've been hoping to split us up. It's easier to overwhelm people when you isolate them, that's just common knowledge.

Both of the thugs came at me at the same time, one swinging high, and the other swinging low, leaving no room for me to dodge except backward and away from Yang. I couldn't allow them to take lead of me. I stepped back enough to avoid the first strikes, but dove in while they wound back for a repeat. I didn't have room to be fancy or smart, just quick. I gave one of them another Ranger Takedown, temporarily removing him as an issue. The second one wound back around in time to make another strike, but I was ready for it. With smaller issue now, I wove past his strike and delivered a Legion Assault to his head. My added body weight made the punch hit harder, and I watched him stagger. I flicker jabbed him all across the chest to keep him that way. I couldn't tell how much of it he felt, I had no way of knowing for sure if these guys had auras or not. Given how useful they'd be in this line of work though, I was inclined to believe they did.

With a solid blow to his arm, I forced the thug to release his grip on the machete. It clattered to the floor, and I threw an uppercut at him. He toppled backward, and I turned back to his friend. He'd just gotten to his feet when another thug slammed into him at full force. Blown backwards into him by Yang. The other thug that had moved to her was currently in the process of finding out how fast she could hit. I watched briefly as her fasts became a golden storm of light and sound. Her gauntlets unleashing a torrent of shot and power into the thug as she punched him. I felt the smallest twinge of pity for him, briefly, I _knew_ how hard she hit.

Behind her though, now _six_ more guys came rushing in. Each wielding weapons that I didn't have time to focus on.

But I did notice the one that was pointing a pistol at Yang's back.

With practiced finesse, I shifted my foot underneath the nearby machete and flicked it into the air. I grabbed it at apogee, took a fraction of a second to aim, and threw it down range. It winged past Yang's head by an inch and slammed into the gunman's. It bounced off without visible harm, but he gave a cry of pain and missed his shot, hitting a thug somewhere else.

Yang took note of my near miss, spun to see her would-be attackers, then finished pummeling the thug nearest her. With a heave, she pulled him over her shoulder and punched him into the onrushing crowd. Knocking half of them down and stumbling the others.

I didn't hesitate to close the distance between me and Yang, kicking the nearest downed thug in the head while doing so.

Despite that though, I knew he wouldn't stay down. In fact, none of them would. We were blasting people across the room and pummeling them into the floor, but they were getting back up. They had enough people to buy them the time to do so. We could keep space as long as we wanted, but that didn't change the fact that they outnumbered us. In a war of attrition, the name of the game is out last and overpower your opponent. I knew I could keep going, but at some point my bad luck would rear its head.

That wasn't even accounting for how they were fighting. Even if they had auras, they were relentless, even vicious in their assault. They may have fought Yang before, but so had I. Even after 'winning' I was still a little hesitant about doing it again. Yang was competent, skilled, and strong. Not someone you went up against without a plan.

They had to be up to something. But I couldn't tell what.

The three staggered thugs got their wits about them again and began circling us. Keeping just out of punching distance so they wouldn't have to immediately strike back. Yang wasn't having it though, and dove at the nearest one. She slipped past his guard and gave him an uppercut that sent him airborne. Although slow to react, this gave the other two an opening. One dove for me with an axe, but just barely missed. The other got lucky though, and got a slash in on Yang. Not that it stopped her at all, as she just turned and punched him in the face.

As for my assailant, I hit him in the face with a jab, then a cross to buy space. I pivoted and kicked him in the stomach, toppling him to the floor. I stomped on him for good measure, again, and prepared to keep up with Yang. She hadn't waited after punching out the other two, she'd just pushed forward. Machetes and Axes occasionally clipping her as she waylaid into the onrushing thugs.

I noticed the white blur right as it was about to hit me.

I dipped into a guard right as one of the girls I'd seen earlier came at me from the side. She kicked high, fast, and hard. If she'd gotten through my guard right then, she might've knocked a few teeth out. But it held, and I gave her a Scribe Counter for her trouble.

She slipped away from it, and her red twin came in after her, a pair of long red claws affixed to either arm. Their reach exceeding my own by inches.

She swiped and I back pedaled away from the two, increasing the space between me and Yang.

"'Afraid I don't have time for this, ladies." I said, being as curt as possible "Do yourselves a favor and move."

"Tsk, Militia, why do we always get the rude ones?" The one clad one asked.

"I don't know Melanie." The red one, Miltia, apparently, replied "But he doesn't look like much fun."

" _I'm_ rude?" I asked "Bitch, you struck first."

That earned me a glare from both of them.

"I guess not." Melanie said "Let's teach him some manners."

'Great going Six, learn to watch your language.'

The one with the claws came at me first, slashing at me. I didn't try to block them, only dodge. I didn't have the armor to stop her attacks from cutting me, and I couldn't count on my aura to hold out for long. It wouldn't take too many cuts to make blood loss a worry either.

She slashed at me three times, then made a stab for me. When she did, I wove past it and punched her in the chest. She rolled with it, and moved out of the way as the white one came back in. She came in with a high kick at my head. I took note of the fact that there were very sharp looking blades strapped to the backs of her heels. Only because they were close enough to my face it was hard not to.

She brought her leg inward with a swiping motion, nearly clipping me with the blades of her heels. But even as I dodged, Miltia came back in again. Raking her claws at me in a cross armed slash. I could only back pedal away from them, further increasing the distance between Yang and me. But there was little I could do otherwise.

Miltia made another lunge for me and I reversed course, plowing forward with a Ranger Takedown. It hit and she flew back slightly, but Melanie had been hot on her heels, and countered for her. Striking me in the stomach and sending me backwards by what felt like a dozen feet. I tumbled to the ground and rolled to a knee.

Now the gap between me and Yang was rather substantial.

Miltia picked herself up off the ground and began to sashay closer to me with her white clad twin.

I got back to my feet, steadied myself, and grit my teeth. I spared a look past the twins and to Yang. She was still going, pummeling Junior's boys like it was going out of style. Moving to and fro like a raging fire, uncontrolled, dangerous, and… oddly beautiful. Even through the monochromatic filter of the club's lighting I could see her hair burning gold. Like a torch cutting a hole through the shade. Everything that got close to it seemed to lose its paler hues. Gently warming back to life. Like the sun bringing day to a long night…

I shook my head and focused. The whiskey must've finally been getting to me.

I didn't wait for the twins to come to me. I wasn't going to catch up to Yang doing that. But as I moved forward, I took note of something. The world felt… off. Like everything was tilted at an angle so minute I couldn't quite match, but just steep enough to drive me insane. On top of that I felt heavy. Like my legs, arms, chest, everything had been strapped with leaden chains.

Something was wrong, but I still hadn't picked up on what. So I powered through it.

When I was about five feet away, I dove at the twins with a Legion Assault. They both, in turn, slipped out of the way before springing back at me for another strike. I dodged as well, but this time putting my Back to Yang. They weren't going to be driving us apart if I had a say in it.

They came at me in a practiced, coordinated fury. Claws swiping and kick flying at me every which way. I used every move to lessen the divide between me and Yang. But I couldn't keep the defensive forever. Especially not as I was feeling then. But there also wasn't much else I _could_ do. I had my .45, but using a gun, even a pistol, in a close quartered fist fight was a recipe for disaster on my part. Contrary to popular belief. I still had my flashbang in my sock too, but It wasn't going to do jack diddly right now.

'Knew I should've brought a frag grenade.'

I dipped and wove past their assault, waiting for them to tire enough that I could retaliate. But they were covering each other's weaknesses well. I couldn't force them apart. I'd strike one to counter, and the other would be ready to intercept. I'd lower my guard, and they'd both dive for it. Even if I managed to strike or guard against one of them, the other would be waiting in the wings. Fighting multiple enemies was never easy, but it was even worse when they were actually coordinated.

Making it worse, Yang was still on the move herself. I was doing my best to keep with her and lead the twins back to her, if for no other reason to by myself breathing room. But she was driving further and further ahead. Even knowing that the number of enemies present _wasn't_ infinite didn't change the fact that they were tenacious.

The twins reeled back once more and looked ready to try and bring another barrage of kicks and slashes to me. But then a knowing look registered across their faces, and they moved further back still.

It was by instinct and paranoia that I dodge Junior. I dove forward and rolled to my feet as he came crashing to the floor from somewhere overhead. The body of his bat smashing into the floor and leaving a crater five feet around.

I came to a stop and took stock of my new situation. To one direction, I had both of the twin. Standing a small distance apart and looking no worse for wear. To the other, I had a mountain of a man wielding a club the size of a child. All three forming a small, three-point circle with me as the center.

The tired, heavy limbed, and woefully unprepared center.

If there had been any doubts that Junior had something up his sleeve though, they vanished with a cocky smirk. One he sported as he came to his feet.

"AAAGH! Enough already!"

I spared a glance backward as Yang erupted into the throes of her flaming haired fury. The thugs were continuing to try and surround her, but just plowed through them. Punching, kicking, slamming them into each other, and using them as springboards. It was a sight to behold.

"Hmph." Junior grunted, still smirking "She's still got all that energy."

"Doesn't have to keep going this way, Junior." I growled, carefully keeping both him and the Twins in sight. "We could still just walk out of here. No sense in everyone getting the crap kicked out of them."

"… Nah, I think I like my odds." Junior retorted baring his teeth "Besides, I told _you_ to leave."

"Yeah, and I told you to keep it to yourself."

I took a deep breath and adjusted my stance. My lungs were starting to feel heavy, and burned slightly.

"Heh, your choice kid." Junior said with a shrug "But you're looking pretty tired."

'… tired?'

The gears in my head finally clicked to a halt.

I don't get tired. At least, not from this little. I've gone for hours on end in fights like this before, and came out only a little winded for it. Right now though, I felt like I wanted to keel over.

Like I'd been _poisoned_.

"You spiked our drinks, didn't you?" I asked.

That got a look of surprise out of Junior. He must've thought he was being clever.

The moment the thought crossed my mind, I felt a chill trickle down my spine. The pieces fit together well enough then. My eyes darted to Yang, still burning bright. But her movements were sluggish. Like every move she made was slowly growing off kilter. She wasn't letting it stop her, but it was clearly getting worse by the moment. I watched as she launched the thug closest to her across the club, clearing a neat open space around her.

Then she hit the floor.

"Yang!"

The sound of Heavy footsteps reached me a second before the pain hit my lower spine. I had less than half a second to See Junior hitting me with his oversized bat.

Then I flew into a wall.

* * *

 **Again, another long wait, this is what I meant in the notes of the last chapter. If it's going to take me this amount of time (about a month and a half this time) to write out a chapter for you guys it doesn't make much sense to me to do several of them, have you wait five months for them, and then get those chapters back to back. I don't see as much value in it at the moment, because my personal life doesn't give me a set work schedule for this.**

 **Whatever, I'm rambling.**

 **"Ssj1998": Psh, what? Nothing's gone horrible wrong, what're you talking about?**

 **"The Baz": Took a look at it after you mentioned it. Hadn't heard of it up until then, though I do see the similarities.**

 **"Guest": You're technically correct, if the chamber's empty there should be no chance of that happening. But I also know basic gun safety says sticking a gun in your pants is a bad idea so... meh.**

 **"Lordgoth": With this, you're at least a little closer. Trust me when I say that they are almost over.**

 **"Malgrath": Did this one?**

 **"A profile name": Thank you sir, and I apologize for making you wait.**

 **"Someguy the Anon": ... hadn't considered that until you said it. A lot of things make sense now.**

 **"Quentin3655": Possibly, there are wines close to that age and older out in the world. Some of them have turned, others are still drinkable, and some have lost all their alcohol content. So anything's possible, really.**

 **"SlackBoy101": FOR THE EMPEROR!**

 **"Ph0enix17": The brain does what it wants with little care for what you say. But, in a series where people ship a monkey with a cat, a snowflake with a rose, and Achilles with Joan of arc, I'd say you're in good company.**

 **"DanReid4": Thank you :)**

 **"Inu-Shommaru": Not a problem, hopefully this one doesn't find you too late.**

 **Alright, that should about do it, This Fanfic was brought to you by The Club: Vale's premiere venue for dance and drink, located at the far end of the nearest dark alley.**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**

 **Sorry this took so long to get to you guys; I had a hectic week and couldn't get to it when I wanted to.**

 **~ Mech**


	28. Intermission 7-3: Blood in the Bar

The initial impact hurt less than it should have. Being something of an expert when it comes to being thrown through walls at this point, I knew a thing or two. But when I hit the wall, while it was certainly far from comfortable, didn't hurt like it should've.

I fell to the floor with a flop and watched as muted light danced around my body, accompanied by the sound of breaking glass.

'… Oh, right, aura… ow.'

I'd say I scrambled to my feet at lightning speed, but hitting the wall had thrown me for a loop. That wasn't even accounting for whatever I'd unwittingly put in my system. I'd been too relaxed; I knew Junior was going to try something. I'd ignored my common sense and was now paying for it. My body didn't want to move right. Everything felt a tad off kilter and a bit numb. Even the amount I was forcing myself to move was taxing.

But I wasn't letting it stop me.

Cardiac Arrest had a nice little bonus to it. A secondary filtration system meant for pulling poisons and toxins out of me. It'd helped me a few times in the past. But it wasn't fool proof, or even all encompassing. If I'd stayed as Heartless as I'd been in the Big Empty, I wouldn't have even felt it. The filtration in the fully mechanical heart was exponentially more powerful. It would've made sure whatever Junior had spiked my drink with would've been kicked out before it reached the rest of me. As it did with all toxins.

Up to and including alcohol.

Fun fact about toxin filtration, it doesn't ignore alcohol. Even if I still managed to get any of its 'practical' effects, I wouldn't feel any of its, arguably more desired, mind numbing properties.

So aside from the fact I preferred having all of my bits and bobs back where they belonged, I liked being able to drink too. Shocker.

Of course that also left me vulnerable to situations like this, but these also qualified as being pretty rare.

'Not rare enough, apparently.'

The filters would pull the toxins out with enough time, and I wasn't going to let some lousy chemicals stop me. Even if I didn't scramble to my feet as much as I wanted to, I did force myself to them. My eyes took in my surroundings as fast as they could. Even through the grayscale, I could pick out the speakers and 'mixer' that'd made up the 'DJ's' area. Junior must've hit me up into it. I stumbled blearily over to the 'mixer' and leaned against it for support, quickly trying to gain a grasp on the new situation.

I could see everyone still below me on the floor. Junior's thugs had mostly congregated to Yang during the fight, and had stayed that way now. Though they had yet to encroach on the clearing she'd made around her. Which she herself still laid in the center of. Junior and the twins Stood a couple yards away from where Yang lay. Likely the spot they'd launched me from. He looked smugly off towards where Yang lay, not seeming to notice I was back on my feet.

I yanked off my spiked knuckles and drew my .45, fully intent to make him regret taking his eyes off his opponent.

That was, until I saw one of his goons starting to close in on Yang. Likely trying to make sure she was actually down. Before he got close enough to check though, I whipped my pistol to him and cracked off three shots at him. The gun roared like thunder and echoed through the large hall of the club.

I watched my first shot go wide of the thug, planting itself in a different, closely clustered thug. The other two found their mark at center mass though. He stumbled back into the cluster, with his fellows acting as his cushion, though they didn't seem to be trying to catch him.

Everybody took notice of me with that. They'd probably figured I was going to stay down. My aim snapped back to Junior as he looked ready to retaliate. I aimed square for his head.

"I can take the head off a moving target half your size from fifty paces, Junior!" I bellowed, tired and very much angry. "You stay the fuck away from my friend or I'll be painting the walls with your gray matter!"

The thugs didn't make any immediate movements, they seemed to take me at my word despite outnumbering my forty to one. Junior though, faced me fully. Looking at me like I was stupid or had a death wish.

"Is that supposed to be intimidating?" He growled

"Yes, moron." I answered, splitting my attention between him and his thugs. "Because you clearly have no clue how bad you've fucked up right now."

"I told you to leave."

"And told you to keep it to yourself. I knew the moment we walked in that nothing good was going to come of it."

"Then that makes you an idiot for coming in anyway."

"You're right, it does…" I looked at Yang for a moment. I couldn't judge anything about her from this far away. Couldn't tell if she was conscious. Couldn't tell if she was coherent. Couldn't tell if she was even _breathing_. I had no clue what Junior had given us beyond it was making me tired. It could've been anything from sedative to a neurotoxin for all I knew. "But now I'm not feeling as amiable as I had been."

Junior looked at me a moment long, then looked over to Yang, and back to me with a smug smirk.

"I was worried it wouldn't work." Junior said "We used enough of that stuff on her to take down a Goliath, with how she kept going I thought it wasn't working."

I tried to remain focused, angry and focused. If I allowed myself to get distracted things were going to only get worse. But that didn't trump the fact that whatever he'd given Yang could very well be killing her. I didn't give much of a crap about myself right now, I'd power through, but I had no clue what'd been done to us. My pip-boy could probably tell me, but checking it wasn't going to be easy. Especially not at that moment.

"What. Did you. Give us?" I asked, maintaining my angry growl.

"Hmph, I wouldn't worry about that now." Junior answered "I'm more surprised that you're still standing than anything."

"I'll be doing a lot worse than that if your boys don't get away from her."

"… You really don't seem to understand your situation, do you?"

As if on cue, every one of Junior's boys with a gun put me in their sights, and the melee wielders readied themselves. They all fanned out across the room near Junior keeping me in their sights. All but two of them abandoned Yang. Though they were mostly identical to everyone else, I recognized the one I'd just shot. He looked a tad ruffled.

"You're in my house." Junior said firmly, a vicious smile spreading on his face "You're in _my_ kingdom. In here, I call the shots and say how things go. Blondie made the mistake of thinking she could take the crown. I'm planning to fix that. But outside of here, you think I'm alone?" He gestured to the twins now. "I've got connections with the Mistral Spiders and more than a few favors I can call in. When people want to know something, they pay _my_ price. When someone needs muscle, they come to _me_ for help. Only two people have been dumb enough to try and screw with me. I've already got Blondie here on the floor. As soon as I've got my feet under me, Torchwick's going to be joining her."

'When the hell did Torchwick get involved in this…'

"You know Torchwick?" I asked

"Of course. I know all the action that goes on in this town. I know more about this town than those idiots with the badges could hope to. If I want someone or something found, I find it."

"… So instead of Just telling Yang what she wanted to know, you _let_ her beat the shit out of you?"

Junior lost a bit of his smile to an angry snarl. Guess I struck a nerve. He didn't like being reminded that he wasn't as powerful as he liked to think.

"You really are an _idiot_ , aren't you?" Junior growled.

"That's what my teammates seem to think." I answered coolly "And, what can I say, I hate to disappoint."

Junior and I continued to glare at each other for a moment. A tense, silent moment that felt like it stretched on for hours. You could've heard a pin drop as we stood there. All it would take was one wrong move to light the powder keg, but no one gave it.

Junior's boys stood at the ready.

My .45 was trained.

Junior stared me down.

The twins stood with him, placid.

And the two thugs near Yang waited.

If anyone did anything, we were all in for a fight. I didn't like my odds either. Properly prepared I wouldn't give a damn, and just plow through them. But I was lacking in pretty much every department, on top of having _something_ in my system. I was keeping steady, but if I didn't figure out what had been done to me it was only going to get worse. If it was poison, Junior wouldn't need to do anything. Despite my resistances, prolonged exposure would kill me if I couldn't filter fast enough. Even if whatever it was wasn't out right toxic, the effects were going to take time to wear off. Regardless of what happened, it would be an uphill fight.

But Junior seemed to be aware of one fact. I didn't seem to care about my situation. So even if it wasn't a fight in my favor, I'd still give them hell the whole way through.

So we stood there. Watching and waiting. Seeing who would blink first.

"… Hm- he he heh-"

To my surprise, Junior didn't blink.

He just chuckled.

He gave a small, dark laugh and shook his head.

"You know, kid, I like you."

"…What?"

"You've got stones." Junior continued "You've got enough sense to tell when something's going to go poorly for you. But you're not too bad in a fight, and seem pretty quick on your feet. Which is something I can't say for some _others_ here."

He gave an angry look to all of his thugs, one that was meet with near universal disappointment.

"What does that have to do with this?" I asked, not lowering my .45.

"It means I know you're smart enough to tell you aren't going to win." Junior said darkly "That if this keeps going, my boys _are_ going to kill you. When they do, we'll chop your body into pieces and dump you in the sea for the Grimm."

I remained stoic in the face of Junior's threat. He looked like he meant it. But looks mean little.

" _My_ business, on the other hand, is only with Blondie." Junior said, cool "She's going to pay for what she did. I'll make sure of it… But that doesn't mean _you_ need to."

"…"

Junior spread his arms wide in an opening gesture. "All you have to do, is put your gun down and walk away. I'll forget this ever happened."

"You expect me to abandon her?"

"No, no, of course not. She's not going to be alone, after all-" Junior's arms gestured to everyone else in the room "My boys and I can be pretty good company."

'… Is this asshole really saying what I think he's saying?'

"… You really _must_ think I'm an idiot." I growled "After everything that just happened, do you really expect me to just walk away?"

"Maybe." Junior said, shrugging "You seem smart enough, but I could be wrong, and I do know the Grimm are hungry..." Junior looked thoughtful for a moment, then gave me another dark, wry smile. "Tell you what, I'm feeling generous."

"Generous?"

"Yeah, you walk out, and I'll owe you a favor. Consider it a 'thank you' for bringing Blondie back here."

I stared blankly at Junior for a moment. There was no way he could be serious.

"-and before you do anything rash-" Junior continued "I just want you to consider the weight of what I'm offering you." He motioned to the room at large, to the forty some-odd people who were either pointing guns, swords, or some other pointy objects at me. All of them looking either extremely pissed off or threatening in their own meager way. "I'm offering you a chance to walk out of here, with absolutely no strings attached. To go with it: A favor you can cash in whenever you want. Maybe you need some scratch? I've got you covered. You need some extra muscle? I've got a room full of 'em."

'You ain't got anything I could want you fucking-'

"Or, hell, maybe you just want to find someone. Like I said, I want someone found, I _find_ them."

"You sure about that?" I asked "Because last I checked, Yang was looking for someon-"

I felt the words die in my mouth, as a telltale grinding filled the air.

"What was that, your scroll?" Junior asked.

I didn't move. I couldn't risk taking my eyes off of anything.

"… It's rude not to answer your scroll you know." Junior sneered.

"… Don't move." I growled.

I slapped my pip-boy up into my face and snapped into VATs. The only measure I could take to buy myself time. For all I knew Junior would gun me down that moment I snapped back to reality. But I _had_ to know what this little back and forth had just set off. I wouldn't be able to change the screen of my pip-boy while in VATs either. So it would only answer one question.

Which it did.

Then unleashed a torrent of others.

The pip-boy had opened to the data screen, the quest log to be specific.

There were a few new quests I hadn't looked into yet, but they weren't my focus. The quest at the top of the list was.

Because it filled me with unease.

 _Mind Games_

 _-Walk out of the Club_

It took what felt like an eternity for my brain to react. When it finally did, I was thankful time was effectively frozen, because I would have been having a meltdown.

'Mind Games… _MIND Games!?_ '

I was at a loss. Not because I couldn't figure out what it meant, but because of the implications.

The quest had come up immediately after Junior mentioned being able to find people. The person I was 'missing' was in fact little more than a mind. And the pip-boy had officially recognized it as an option.

'WHAT. THE. FUCK.'

It was about then that the A.P. System kicked me out of VATs and forced me back to the world. It hadn't felt like I'd had very long to do anything in VATs. But that might've just been a side effect of whatever was in my system.

I quickly whipped my pip-boy out of my face and re-focused on Junior, keeping a firm grip on my composure.

"… That was fast." Junior said, smirking "You actually read whatever it was?"

"Yes." I growled.

"Ok, ok… So, what's it going to be?" Junior said, cool and nonchalant "Walk away with a favor in your pocket or join your friend here on the floor?"

I fought back the urge to freak out. Things had just become infinitely more complicated. Again.

"… WELL?" Junior boomed, clearly feeling in control "Don't be an idiot, kid!"

I grit my teeth and stared out onto the dance floor, coming to grips with my situation.

I had a way to find Dala. _I_ had a way to find _Dala_! Even if it didn't immediately take me to her, it was a lead. Given enough time, with the lead I now had, I _would_ find her. The 'quests' just seemed to work that way, always branching out into one another in some way.

The implications of that, only lead to one end though.

'I… I can go home.'

That single thought hit me harder than anything Junior'd thrown at me, hell, anything _Yang_ had too. If I found Dala, I could get back to the Mojave, hell I might even be able to salvage the reason for this whole mess in the first place.

I could see Cass again.

'…'

I had to fight to keep my arm from dropping right then and there. But my aim dipped.

Junior saw it.

I expected to see every gun in the room roar to life, hundreds of little metal cazadors coming to sting me.

But nothing happened.

Junior just smiled. A cold, confident, smile that said he knew he'd gotten through to me.

"No shame in it kid." Junior said, smooth as glass "It's just good business."

I tried to keep my aim up, tried to keep the fight in me alive. But then I'd think of Cass, happy and smiling, happy and awake.

The fight left me, and I struggled to stay standing.

Nobody moved, but I knew Junior wasn't hesitating anymore. He had me right where he wanted.

All I had to do was walk away.

I closed my eyes. Somewhere in me, something screamed not to do it. But it was so far away it was nothing but distant echoes. I didn't _want_ to leave Yang here. I didn't _want_ to walk out of here. But I knew, deep in my gut, this was the fastest path home. Ozpin had been silent about progress towards my return and I wasn't going to get there on my own. If Dala was here, and this was my shot at getting to her, I had to take it.

All it cost was a friend.

I didn't have to be here for whatever they had planned. I didn't have to know. I didn't _want_ to know. She'd been lying to me. Refused to tell me anything. Refused to give me a reason why everyone had been on edge with me.

All it cost was a friend.

She wasn't a companion. Companions don't lie to each other. They don't intentionally try to lead you into harm's way. They have your back no matter what. They listen to you when staying to fight is a bad idea.

All it cost was a friend.

I hardened my heart. Shut out every little emotion I could. They wouldn't see me through this. I had to do this. There was something I had set out to do, and I could yet see it done. I could go home. I could see Cass. I could see it all through. Screw this place, it wasn't my home. I didn't give a shit about anything that went on here. I'd been brought here by means I had no control over and had made due. I'd gotten the crap kicked out of me at every turn, waiting for a chance to go. MY exit was in front of me now. I need only take it.

All it cost… was Yang.

'… and what would Ruby say, when her sister didn't come home?'

I felt a pain in my chest, in the pit of my heart.

'What would she do when she found out something happened to Yang?'

The pain re-doubled, like someone was taking a sledgehammer to it.

'She already lost her mother; would you take her sister too?'

I felt the walls I'd tried to build around my heart crumble. My emotions coalesced on me like the scorching rays of the Mojave sun.

'Could you live with yourself, knowing you tore her family away from her, just to save your own?'

I held onto the thought of Cass, even as my emotions dug into me. The thought of her awake, happy, and smiling.

'And what would Cass say, if she ever learned what you did?'

I held on to it. Because it was the only sanctuary I had.

'And what would you do, knowing you must live with it?'

But the thought faded, and I was left to bare it alone.

The screaming voice wasn't a distant echo anymore. It had found its way to me. Even as I tried to block it out. To do the thing that would help _me_. I just wanted to go back to the Mojave. I wanted to hold Cass in my arms again. To feel like I had some control in my life. Control I hadn't felt in a long time. Not since I'd lost her.

'… and I would do that to Ruby? ...'

The screaming stopped, and I stopped trying to push my emotions into the background. I _dragged_ them _forward_. I could feel and hear them well enough now without assistance. They were there, at the forefront of my mind, ready to be dealt with.

The first of which: Disgust.

Disgust at Junior, for being who he was.

Disgust at his men, for being willing to follow him. For being complicit in whatever he had planned for Yang.

But most importantly, Disgust at myself. Disgust for even considering the shit Junior was spewing for a fraction of a second past his first breath.

Disgust was followed closely by a much more potent emotion. One that was going to ensure I was going to do things that were going to probably get me killed.

Rage.

This was only going to go one way now. But I had one thing Junior didn't at the moment. One thing that most _don't_ count on in the middle of a fight.

Surprise.

I calmly looked around the room. Gathering my bearings on all the black and white. I looked at the lights overhead. The dance floor, with its occupants. The mixer, with its myriad sliders, switches, and knobs. I took note of something else it had as well, sticking out of a compartment just in reach.

Something that kicked my resolve into overdrive and put a smile on my face.

My brain feverishly stitched together what could generously be called a plan. If you were so pissed off that an unrelenting assault constituted such a thing. But my first objective was clear, and something that finally eased the pain in my chest.

Get Yang out of their reach.

I'd move onto the rest once that was done.

I rebuilt the walls around my heart, and spoke.

"… You're right, Junior." I said, voice even and defeated "It is good business, no shame to be had in it." I carefully set my .45 on the mixer remaining calm, focused. "Safe Passage, a favor, and a new friend in the Vale underworld, right?"

"He he, Well, Friends might be a bit generous."

"Hm, maybe... But I'll tell you this: I wouldn't just be an idiot to turn you down." I slouched against the Mixer, my hand reaching and griping the item in its compartment "I'd be a _crazy_ fucking _fool_ …"

With practiced hand, I whipped the .45 Submachine gun from its compartment in the Mixer. It might not have been one, but its design was close enough. I didn't aim at anyone in particular, I just sprayed the dance floor. There were too many to take head on as it stood. The fact that I'd noticed this gun was here was a miracle on its own. The kick wasn't as bad either, which I chalked up to the gun using Dust instead of my standard propellant. I couldn't hear it over the roar of the gun either, but I was certain the pip-boy just told me I'd failed the quest.

Shame.

That aside, I got what I wanted. Everyone on the dance floor scattered like radroaches the moment I sprayed. I'd needed to buy myself a window for what came next.

I released the trigger, raised the barrel to the ceiling, and fired at the light fixture. One by one the lights went out in a hail of gunfire and broken glass.

The gun clicked empty right before the last light broke, but that was all I needed.

I swapped the submachine gun to my off-hand and grabbed my .45 from the mixer. I looked off to Yang a fraction of a second ahead of my reflexes. One of the thugs still stood there, dazed. The other having scuttled off before he got hit.

I proved my marksmanship by putting two in his head. His aura shattering on the first.

"Here's _MY_ offer!" I roared, firing a third at the final light. No more than a trio of seconds passing since I'd grabbed my .45 "Run or die!"

Darkness filled with room, the grayscale finally cutting to black. Just in time for my night vision to kick in.

I slapped my hands up across the mixer, hitting every switch I could. I only had so much of an idea how this thing worked. But I was going to need every advantage I could get. It was dark, they wouldn't see me. If the music was on and loud, they sure as hell wouldn't hear me either. I didn't care what music came on, just as long as it did and was loud. I didn't bother making sure it was perfect either, I didn't have time.

The job done well enough, I hauled myself over the mixer, dropped the submachine gun, and fell to the floor below. Keeping the Submachine gun wouldn't have helped. I didn't _actually_ know what caliber it was, and if it wasn't built strong enough the gunpowder might just cause it to blow-up in my face. I probably fell for about a ten to fifteen feet. I did my best to land softly, despite the protests of my body.

My landing was mercifully masked by the gunfire that filled the air. Dozens of muzzle flashes lit the room up in sporadic bursts. A few of them were off course in wild fashion, but the majority of them had found their way back to the mixer. Blindingly bright balls of fire pointing to where I'd been standing not less than a few seconds ago. I didn't wait for them to correct their aim either, I stayed crouched and moved to Yang. The gunfire helped muffle my already soft footsteps. Meaning even if they could've heard me move before, they couldn't now. Not over the din of it.

I scrambled over to Yang as quietly and quickly as possible. I wasn't going to count on them shooting at the mixer longer than maybe ten or twenty seconds before moving on. We couldn't be out in the open when they did.

I found Yang's limp form in the shade, just as she'd been when I'd blown the lights out. This included the thug, who's head I'd perforated, lying dead on the ground about five feet away. From the little I saw of him; he was missing a large chunk from the back of skull.

I didn't focus on him though, I focused on moving Yang. Moving quietly on your own wasn't hard; doing it while trying to carry a second unconscious and limp form, was. Which was part of the reason I needed to be in cover before they realized I wasn't at the mixer anymore. Unfortunately, there weren't a whole lot of places that would adequately serve for long term cover. The pillars on the dance floor could certainly help obscure me and Yang, but were nowhere near adequate. I couldn't go back to the Mixer either, that spot was compromised until after they checked it. There was the possibility of this place having some rooms in the back, but I didn't have time to go looking for or get to them.

Which left me with one, workable, option at the moment.

Hobbling as quickly as I could with Yang, I dragged her behind the bar under the Mixer while doing everything I could to not give away we were hiding under the current target of everyone else in the room.

The firing stopped the moment Yang was with me behind cover, and I went completely still. I listened intently for movement, any sign that they'd seen us. The first thing I picked up was what sounded like an air raid siren, slowly winding up. But beyond that, I heard no movement.

"… Well, what're you clowns waiting for?" Junior growled "Go find him!"

At that I heard footsteps. Though they sounded like they were approaching the bar, I could hear them moving to one side of it in particular. It wasn't the side I'd moved in from, so I took that as my cue they hadn't seen me. I didn't breathe a sigh of relief though, I was still in the Nightstalker's den, just hiding in a corner they hadn't checked yet. But I'd bought a few seconds to continue my plan.

I used them to get a better handle on what had been done to me and Yang. I placed a few fingers under Yang's nose to check she was breathing. She was, I felt slow and deep puffs of air brush my fingers. I then moved them to her neck and checked her pulse. It was slow, slower than I was comfortable with, but her heart was still beating. It seemed somewhere close to forty-five, maybe fifty.

Satisfied she wasn't keeled over yet; I opened my pip-boy to the stats section. I couldn't be sure what was ailing me was the same as what was ailing her. But I wasn't going to count Junior as keeping dozens of different poisons on hand to help incapacitate people.

That was even knowing I was in a bar. A place whose sole purpose was carrying dozens of different poisons to help incapacitate people.

The stats screen came up with a muted buzz and I scrolled over to the EFF section. The pip-boy was good at figuring out what was affecting me at any given moment. Though I never understood how it knew my helmet had built in night vision. It picked up the whisky well enough, and gave me the usual description of what it did: inebriation, making me feel stronger, and occasionally being a more charming fellow.

What was listed below it, not so much.

 _Hexa Narcosis Venom: END -3, STR -5_

It took me a second to recognize the name. But I did, from one of Port's lessons. He'd mentioned the name in passing, saying that most hunters just called the beasts 'Hexans'. From the descriptions he'd provided, I'd have just called them _Giant Fucking Spiders_. He'd gone on at length about them, but gave note to their tendency to do the same to people as most spiders do to other insects. I.E. slowly dissolve and drink them, thanks in large part to their venom working as an incredibly powerful paralytic neurotoxin.

I was suddenly very thankful for having a slightly mechanical heart that removes poisons.

I was also very fretful for Yang. The venom itself wasn't necrotic, the Grimm did something _else_ for the dissolving bit. But she'd still been given an incredibly potent chemical whose sole purpose was to make it so the victim couldn't move at normal dosages. If Junior had been literal regarding how much he used, it was a miracle Yang's heart hadn't stopped. That may have been something her Aura had helped with, but there was nothing I could immediately do to help her. The body is good at filtering and expelling toxins, given enough time. But that didn't change we might not have that time.

"He's not up here!" A voice called from overhead, the sound of the siren getting louder

'Correction, we _don't_ have enough time.'

They were going to find us both if I stayed. But I wasn't planning to. I'd just needed to make sure Yang was ok. Or at least going to be able to survive on her own for a bit. I hadn't gotten either of those, not with knowing what had been done now. But it just gave me one more reason to not show mercy.

One down, forty-two to go.

I slid a new magazine into my .45 as the air raid siren reached its zenith and stayed there. I moved back out from behind the bar. I could barely hear the thugs tromping back down the stairs, but I saw them before they saw me.

"Why didn't you morons turn the music off!?" Junior boomed, trying to be heard over whatever music was apparently playing.

"The mixer's wrecked!" A thug shouted back "Someone shot it full of holes!"

I kept my ear open to them as I worked my way back over to where Yang had been. I didn't have a lot going for me right then other than surprise and my night vision, both of which only lasted until something screwed them up. Coupling with that, I only had weapons that worked by making very loud and very bright explosions.

Which is why I went back to where Yang had been. The corpse laying on the ground had something I could use.

I moved quickly to and past the corpse, grabbing the hatchet from its hand as I went.

I looked back long enough to see that one of Junior's group had broken off from them, and was making their way towards where Yang had been. He practically tripped over the corpse of the first guy before looking down to see what was there.

"You've made a mistake 'Steve'!" Junior shouted "'Cause when my boys find you now, I'm gonna-"

"Holy Shit!" The thug shouted, turning back to the group "Braun's dead!"

I bit back the immediate urge to have the thug join the other one. Instead, I crept a little further into the shadows, then reached into my pocket and pulled out the next needed component of my plan. I ran it slowly and methodically along the bit of the axe. Doing so might have imbued some of its attributes onto the axe itself, but that wasn't my intent. I just needed to make more surface area.

Satisfied, after having thoroughly coated the blade, I took out my lighter. I struck it alight, and held the component to the flame. It was old, having been picked many months ago by this point, long having dried and shriveled. There was, however, still some residual moisture in it, likely picked up from the surrounding air. But that was acceptable. For what I needed, the more smoke it produced the better.

I knew my gasmask wouldn't protect me though, so I was as careful as possible about not breathing in any smoke as I coaxed the flame to the component.

When it took, crackling and popping lightly, I took aim and tossed the datura root into the crowd of gathered assholes. I had no clue if it would have any effect, or how long it would take, but that shit made me see burning yao guai. If it did anything, it would be a boon.

The smoldering root arced through the air and landed somewhere in the center, near Junior. I couldn't tell if anyone had noticed it, but they gave no immediate reaction, which was a good sign.

"… Alright, screw it, scrolls out everyone!" Junior shouted.

I could see everyone collectively moving to their pockets. I chose then to act. I moved silently from my position and surged the thug standing over the other's corpse.

I leapt towards him and brought the hatchet down as hard as I could on the back of his head. I expected it to push back slightly, before deflecting off entirely. His aura was still enabled as far as I could tell.

I hadn't expected it to get buried half way into his skull.

There had been some resistance initially, which ate most of the force I put behind my swing. But it hadn't been enough to stop my attack. The bit got lodge into his head with a wet *thunk*.

The thug gave a surprised gasp, before going painfully still. The faintest movements being nerve twitches as his body tried to understand what'd just happened. It wasn't going to. But even if it could've, I kicked him in the lower back. As he fell away, the hatchet bit deeper.

He fell to the floor, and I grabbed his Scroll before dashing forward and out of immediate sight once more.

Not a moment later, somebody had their scroll out, casting light in the gloom, burning bright as star in my night vision. They saw what I'd done to the _other_ thug now.

"Kobalt!"

The Droning Air-raid siren was joined with the crash of drums and the scream of a guitar. Something I could only vaguely discern amidst the warbling, almost electronic white noise that played with it.

"… Well, don't just stand around!" Junior roared over the music "Find him!"

Only some of Junior's boys actually broke away from the group, it looked to be five of them. The rest stayed tight knit, guns at the ready. One would imagine they were suddenly on edge or something. The group moved to where I'd laid their friends low, then subdivided into two more groups. The group of three went the way I'd already been, and the other two followed hot on my heels.

I moved ahead of them in the darkness, staying ahead and just beyond the range of their lights. We were fighting on a mostly flat, open area. I didn't have much option when it came to cover. The only options available were the pillars the spanned the room.

So, naturally, I moved to the nearest one and did my best to hide behind it. At least as best as one can hide behind a rounded object anyway.

The thugs came in, close and quick, and they only missed me because I skirted just a little further around the curve. They missed me and walked on a few steps, before stopping abruptly. I struck before they could turn to face me, chopping the hatchet into the neck of the nearer thug. Again, feeling less resistance than I should have but still burying the axe into his neck.

Even as the thug came to grips with his sudden injury though, his friend became very much aware of my presence. Turning quickly to face and shine a light on me. I got a glimpse of the panic on his face before I kicked his friend into him and free of my axe. They tumbled to the floor, the first thug struggling to keep pressure on his wound while the second tried to get free of the first. Before he did, I brought the axe down on his head. I heard the bit crunch against his skull before he went deathly still. His friend joined him slowly, dying with a raspy gurgle.

I bit back my own disgust, listening to my surroundings to see if anyone had heard what'd happened. But over the music, it was hard to hear much. But I did hear someone begin to sing, likely in chorus with the music. His voice smooth and soft in contrast to the wailing instruments, which now died down to a low rumble.

 _If this machine doesn't stop, what will you do if it never goes out- never goes out of season~?_

I took stock of the room. I could tell from the lighting that Junior and his boys were still huddled in the center of the room. They hadn't noticed me, but I knew if I lingered, they'd start-

"Hey, what's the holdup you two?" Junior shouted, his voice directed towards the pillar I was hiding behind.

'shit!'

Before I had a chance to move, all of the light seemed to funnel towards the pillar I was hiding behind. casting a stark shadow of the pillar past me. I was unseen, but only so long as I stayed in the column.

 _It never stops as it turns, there ain't no passion yet it burns, introducing my prison~_

I didn't panic. I was too angry. Instead, I took stock of my surroundings, including that I noticed some lights were bobbing my way from around the bend. I was going to get caught eventually, and I knew that when I did, I was going to be at a disadvantage. The datura, if it was going to work at all, still needed time to burn. _It_ was my only advantage that I could count on. I had no idea why or how I'd already cleaved through four of them, but I wasn't going to count on repeats of that to keep me alive.

I turned and took stock of the pillar I was using as cover.

It had scaffolding running up it, and looked to be in the process of reconstruction.

I grit my teeth and began carefully climbing the metal beams that constituted the platform. Pulling myself as high as I could without being made visible. At about ten feet off the ground though, one of the beams gave way suddenly and clattered noisily to the floor.

'fuck.'

The thugs' slower approach was replaced with a sudden frenzied sprint. I didn't bother trying to keep climbing though. At this point, if they saw me, they saw me. Instead, I loosened my grip slightly and kept my hatchet at the ready.

They came around the corner, and immediately saw their friends lying on the floor. There were three of them, probably the other three from before. I heard one of them call the name of one of the guys on the floor and rush over to him. The other two joined him, but didn't kneel. Instead they looked for me, lights probing the darkness.

"What the hell is going on over there!?" I heard Junior shout

 _Oh-Whoa, losing myself in this place, soon I'm gone without a trace, freed with that final Incision~_

The nearest thug did a quick scan of the pillar's base. He took notice of the broken metal lying on the ground, and I saw his light begin to snap up towards me.

Before he saw me, I threw myself off the scaffolding, landing on and dragging him to the floor. My hatchet bit into and out of his head in quick succession, as I then rose and tackled the third Thug. We struggled for a moment as he tried to get me off him, his arms snaked between mine and keeping me from grappling him properly. With a twist, he loosened my grip on the hatchet and it clattered to the floor.

"He's here!" the other thug shouted, scrambling to face us.

With fervor, I re-drew my .45, stuck the barrel to the head of the thug I grappled, and pulled the trigger. His head didn't explode, but I watched it smack back hard against the floor. On instinct, I whipped my arm around to the other remaining thug and pulled the trigger five times in rapid succession. I watched three of the rounds flatten against his chest, but the other two punched holes through him, and he stumbled back onto the corpse he was just mourning.

A manic part of me didn't stop, and I turned back to the thug I was grappling. He'd barely begun to recover when I jammed the pistol back into his face and tapped the trigger until the slide locked back. It was only two shots, but it was enough. The first shot shattered his aura and his head burst on the second.

I wanted to stop and breathe. The toxin was still trying to hammer me to a stop.

Unfortunately, Junior's little legion chose right then to start shooting, having now discerned where I was. Bullets spider-webbed the opaque-glassy material that constituted the pillar.

 _Look… Look my heart is a bird, it needs to sing and to be heard, not this **clockwork PRECISION- YEAH!~**_

Guitars and drums boomed as I Rapidly Reloaded my .45. I picked up my hatchet, braced myself for the inevitable, and broke cover at a dead sprint.

 _And the machine grows- **IDIOTIC** \- Who's gonna be, it's ingenious critic~?_

I streaked across the room, firing wild into the crowd. Likewise, they fired right back at me.

I fired until the slide locked back again. I couldn't tell if I was hitting anyone, with the blindingly bright light shining at me. I continued sprinting towards the opposite side of the room, intent on taking cover behind another pillar. But before I could get there, several more thugs broke free from the cloche and got in front of me. Some of the gunfire subsided, so I had to guess they weren't going to be trying to fire on one another. I took a quick glance over my shoulder, and found that the thugs had made the decision to try and wall me in with another group having taken position at my rear.

Four to my front, four to my back, an open range to my left, and an army to my right.

There was a pretty good chance this was going to hurt.

 _Everybody loves the perfect solution! To beat the odds against the poorest poss-ible substi-tution!~_

Neither group standing to my front or rear dragged their feet. They came at me at the same time. I had enough time to eject the mag and load a fresh one. Right as the slide released though, the closest one to my front lunged at me, stabbing his katana single handed at my chest. Like he was just wielding an over-sized shiv.

I slapped the blade aside with the face of my hatchet, and returned his lunge with one of my own, swinging the hatchet in a wide, powerful arc at the arm he was using to wield. It seemed that whatever had been on my side up until then though, wasn't anymore. I felt the bit of the axe strike true, then deflect off of him, his aura absorbing the impact. He staggered to the side, and before I could ready to strike again, I dodged to the left, knowing that the ones behind me were looking for an opening. Sure enough, one went flying to where I'd been, machete in his hand and slicing at the air. If I'd stayed still, he'd have done a number to my back.

But even as I regained footing, the other six came rushing in. I didn't wait for them to start getting close though. With all of my targets in front of me, I took aim with my .45 and fired on them.

I kept my aim focused on the closest one for the moment, a machete wielder, concentrating Fire on his head and chest. Three hammered his chest, and a fourth hit his head. The fifth flew into the distant cloche of criminals behind him, hopefully beaning someone else. With the fourth one though, I watched as light warbled over the thug, and he staggered amongst his charging group. Before I could get another shot off at him though, another thug charged ahead of him and at me with a hatchet near identical to the one in my hand in his own.

 _What you see is never what you're gonna get!~_

He swung his hatchet at me, and I intercepted with my own. The handles connected with a synthetic smack, and I pulled my hatchet up, connecting and locking the heads of the weapons. The thug seemed to realize I was in prime position to do him harm, and tried to press me back. It earned him the honor of getting shot in the face at point blank range. The moment he began to push, I whipped my .45 up in my off hand and fired off the last two shots in the mag. If I'd tried that at any greater distance, I wouldn't have anything but the wind. The thug's head snapped back like it'd been smashed twice by a sledgehammer in rapid succession. His grip faltered, and a flourish relieved him of his weapon. I dove in again and struck him in the side of his chest with the bit of my hatchet.

 _Everybody's playing, **Revolution Roulette~** …_

While I struck him though, one of his friends took the moment to return the favor to me. A sharp, burning pain traced its way across my shoulder blades, coupled with the faint lull of tearing fabric. The initial pain was momentary, but I could feel warmth spreading from it down my back.

I shoulder checked the thug in front of me, turned, and swung the hatchet as hard as I could. The thug that'd attacked me backpedaled as fast as he could, but I still managed to just clip him, the bit of my hatchet catching his neck. If he didn't have his aura, I'd have likely nicked his carotid. In his hands, was one of the long-bladed machetes, its edge lightly slicked with crimson.

The fucker had cut me.

I knew better than to stay standing though, and let his friends take the example. Instead, I returned my attention to the thug I previously shoulder checked, and put the pressure on him. I knew as soon as I did his friends would jump in again. But this time I was ready.

The thug had recovered enough to try and counter me as I took another swing. But this time it was a feint, I'd wanted him to do that. I used his hatchet as a hook, and pulled him towards me. I struck him in the side of the head with the butt of the hatchet. The strike might not have hurt him, but it dazed him, which I used to weave my way behind him.

As predicted his friend had made another swipe at me. I kicked the first thug in the small of his back, and he fell into his friend. They tumbled into each other but remained upright. I had a second to slap another magazine into the well of my .45 and release the slid. Before I could swap hands and take aim though, another two of the thugs seized their opening on me plus the one who'd been wielding the katana.

The three of them came at me of opposing angles, making sure I couldn't dodge to the side. I tried to work out the fastest course of action. I couldn't keep dancing around them forever and their auras made it that much more difficult to be rid of them.

Right about then, I remembered an important thing about aura I'd discovered.

I turned to face the katana thug and used the momentum, pivoting my arm and throwing the hatchet at him. It tumbled end over end and clocked him square in the head. He staggered and I rushed him. Before he could recover, I swung my leg up as hard as I could and kicked him in the balls.

He went stock still, jaw dropping as a thready scream of pain crept from his mouth.

I silenced it with the barrel of my gun. I pulled the trigger and watched the back of his head burst outward. In a sluice of red. His body shuddered for a moment, then fell to the ground dead. I turned back to the other two thugs that'd tried to pin me. Slipping into VATs to better judge my shots.

Time screeched to a halt, and I had the moment to figure out how to hit them. Both of the thugs seemed to be in different stages of recognition. Like they'd just realized I was not only willing but trying to kill them, despite the fact I'd already left a couple of their friends dead on the ground as evidence to it.

Of the two thugs though, one of them had been in the process of opening his mouth to speak.

I used it.

"Blon-"

Time squealed forward with a bang. My pistol cracked thunder and spat a wad of lead at the speaking thug.

I watched one of his teeth chip and the bullet flew through his mouth. Then he flew back, his words dying off in a death rattle as he laid there.

 _Gives you no arguments to trade, you can try the key, or you can wait, but the lock will not open~_

The other thug ducked away from his dead friend, and didn't give me enough of a target to shoot either. So I gave him a shot to the torso, for posterity, and used the window to reach down and collect my hatchet.

"Move you idiots!" Junior boomed.

As I knelt though, I watched as the crowd of thugs lighting us parted ways, straight to Junior at the center.

Who now had, what looked like, a rocket launcher.

A salvo of Six rockets issued from the tube at a single shot. Flying close nit at first, then spreading slightly, before beginning to re-converge on me.

"Shit!"

I rolled out of the way a second before the rockets hit where I was standing, the blast sent me sprawling anyway. I was instantly reminded how much being on the receiving end of an explosion blew.

 _So you're left with sanity to lose, 'cuz the machine is a ruse, another invention to rule them~_

The explosion had rocked and staggered me, but at least I was in one piece. Which was more than I could say for the thug I'd been paying attention to. Junior had accidently launched him somewhere.

As the explosion faded into recent memory though, the path to the center of the group re-sealed itself and commenced firing once more. I pushed myself to my feet with all the grace of a drunk pack Brahmin. I knew better than to stay still and make an easy target out of myself, but my body didn't want to cooperate. The poison may not have stopped me, but the more banged up I got the closer that fact was to changing.

My hatchet had been blown somewhere else courtesy of the explosion, along with the katana that'd been resting there. But it didn't bother me much. I could get another.

I focused my attention back on the thugs immediately attacking me. There were still five of them. Three of them were armed with hatchets, one with a machete, and another with a katana.

I didn't plan, so much as re-balance.

I shot the machete wielder in the head, and he snapped back. He might have been dead, but I had no way of knowing. I was fairly certain I'd shattered his aura earlier though. His fellows unconsciously reeled away from him, like they could contract what killed him if his falling body touched them.

It worked for what I needed though, and I charged the four remaining thugs. As soon as they got their bearings, they tried to return it in kind, but by then I'd already gotten close to the one I was aiming for.

The katana wielder made a diagonal swipe at me with his blade. I brought my .45 up and used the slide as a guard to guide the blade past me. The blade scraped and gouged into it as it was redirected. It would be a bitch to fix later, but I'd trade being dead for having to do it any time.

As the blade swept past me, I brought my free hand up and punched the thug in the throat. Then I put my knee into his stomach, grabbed a portion of the Blade's handle with my free hand, and pulled him against me. I wrenched the sword free of his grip, and head-butted him on the nose. He stumbled back, and so did I. Though mine was to avoid the other thug's attempt to gang-up on me.

It didn't entirely work, since one of the hatchet boys caught my arm with the toe of their bit. Fabric ripped unevenly and my arm stung as he took a bite out of my arm. But that was all he got before I was ready to retaliate.

"You fucker, this shit costs money!"

 _Oh Whoa, it's like a fistful of snake-eyes, a hand grenade with bye-byes, like a million spent on nothing~._

I returned my pistol to my belt, and gripped the katana with both hands. Its balance felt good in my hands.

The thug seemed to realize what was coming, and tried to back away. But I kept with him, swinging the blade in a horizontal slash at his stomach. I could feel the blade catch him, and as I completed the cut, reversed my grip on the blade and brought it up in a diagonal cut. With each cut successful, I moved along with another, striking as fast as I could for as long as I was able.

In the Mojave, katanas and blades of their type are not common. There are blades close in style to them, such as the shishkebab and some forms of machete. But the only out-and-out 'katana' style blade that was available, were the ones sold by the Gun Runners. They had problems. The edge retention was poor, requiring constant re-honing and sharpening. They were balanced such that you needed to use both hands to wield them properly, and even more practice to do so effectively. If the person they were being used on was even moderately armored, the blade struggled to cut even if the blade was freshly sharpened.

They were beautiful weapons, but were either very flawed or intended for use in specific circumstances.

But, used when all the proper circumstances were met, you did not want to be on the receiving end of them. Because they are light, swift, and dangerously sharp blades, whose sole purpose lies in rending flesh in as few cuts as possible.

This was best illustrated when one of the last cuts I gave the thug shattered his aura, and the blade bit into him mid-strike.

The thug had a second to howl in pain, then I brought the blade around again so quick he didn't have time to register it. With a single, clean stroke I separated his head from his shoulders.

 _Look, it's kinda like picking the lock, when you never went, knock-knock '_ Hello, is anyone home? I'm coming in. _' with a touch of foreboding!_

I turned to focus on the three remaining. One of them was already charging towards me, and I wasted no time going to meet him. As he swung his hatchet to strike me, I used the flat of the katana to redirect the hatchet past me. Katanas were not made to lock weapons in place, edge to edge. Very few are in fact. But it was made to counter smoothly with practice.

Before he could ready another swing, I struck him hard and fast. In the time it would've taken him to strike me, I slashed him three times. In turn, staggering him with each strike and buying me time to strike again. By the time he'd actually recovered, I'd hit him six times.

When he did recover though, he got lucky. When he swung his hatchet this time, the bit caught my chest ripped a small chunk out of me.

The hit stumbled me, and he tried to repay me for my previous attacks. But unlike him, I could take a hit and keep going. I deflected his follow-up strike once more, and struck him the throat with the end of the Katana's handle.

He made a small coughing sound as I switched back to the blade proper. With a single follow-up stroke, I shattered his aura and cut from his shoulder to the middle of his chest. He made a gurgling cry of pain as I kicked him off the sword and continued my charge to the last two thugs.

Neither had bothered to move, they looked stunned, like they were coming to grips with what was happening. Before they fully could though, I cut one of them in two from ball to breast-bone. He'd had no aura protecting him, so he must've been the one whose aura I'd shattered earlier.

Before he'd even hit the ground though, I'd moved onto his friend, who'd only just begun to raise his hatchet. I struck the hatchet, and he lost his grip on it. I kicked it away, and used the momentum to begin hacking away at him. I'm not sure when he'd actually died, but I remember striking him until he hit the floor as a bloody, chopped up mess.

 _And the machine grows- **PARASITIC** \- Who's gonna criticize the good critic~!?_

I turned and faced the crowd of lights pointed at me, and took note of something. They'd stopped shooting at me. In fact, it seemed like they were just staring at me now. Perhaps they were all starting to realize just what they were up against. Pity it'd only taken twelve of them to figure that out.

Before they had the chance to do anything though, I fell to one knee and pulled the Flash Bang from where I'd stashed it. In as deft a motion as I could manage, I pulled the pin and hurled it at the crowd of people. Bracing myself for the subsequent burst of furious light and sound. I heard a bit of scuffling, probably as the thugs tried to put space between themselves and whatever I'd thrown. Plus one or two gunshots as they tried to regain composure.

Then the grenade went off, and the world dulled slightly into a high-pitched whine. I opened my eyes and saw that the thugs had been caught off guard, and no longer had their lights focused on me. I was in the shadows once more. Before that could change, I picked up and ran back the way I'd come from earlier. Once they realized I'd move, their frenzied trains of though would probably scream I had either charged them or run to the opposite and of the room. And I was right, seconds after I was behind cover, more gunfire erupted, but none of it was directed at me. I bit back a tired, half-psychotic laugh, brought on by the fact that I was somehow still alive.

I leaned against the pillar and caught my breath. The toxin was taking its full toll on me. I'd kept ahead so far, but they'd gotten some good hits in on me. My chest and back especially hurt, and while they weren't bleeding as bad as they could be, I knew they would be eventually. I grit my teeth and tried to steady myself.

 _Everybody loves the perfect solution, to beat the odds against the poorest poss-ible substi-tution.~_

Over the din of the gunfire and the steadily decreasing whine form the flashbang, I heard the sound of another rocket being launched. Followed by an explosion, and the sound of falling glass.

Some ancient, hair-trigger instinct in me screamed, and I ran away from the pillar and towards the next one down.

Not even three seconds after I had, another salvo of rockets destroyed the pillar I'd been using for cover. I'd barely had time to get behind the next one before the thugs had regained their composure and had their lights sweeping the room once more.

 _What you see is never what you're gonna get!~_

"You think this is funny you little shit!?" Junior roared, full of rage and vitriol "I'll bring this whole fucking place down!... Fandango!"

I leaned out from my pillar enough to see one of the thugs turn to Junior.

"Get the lights back on!" Junior bellowed.

Without a word, 'Fandango' took off from the crowd. Where ever he was going, it was probably to do what Junior'd asked. I couldn't let him do that, the darkness was my only advantage at the moment. I lost that; my chances went from slim to none.

But I didn't move. Junior probably expected me to. I go to take 'Fandango' out, I give myself away. I stay where I was, when the lights came back on, I'd be a sitting duck. He'd put me in a catch-22. All I did for a moment was stand there, breathing, thinking.

 _Everybody's playing, **Revolution Roulette~!**_

Then Junior started laughing.

"Ha! We're gonna find you, asshole!" he shouted "Then we're going to take our time with Blondie!"

I stayed still.

"You shouldn't have made this so difficult!" Junior gloated "If you had, we'd have been quick about it!"

He was trying to rile me now, I knew it.

"He he he, who knows?" he asked "Maybe I'll keep you alive. Just long enough to-"

My feet moved before my brain caught up. I darted out from behind the pillar and ran straight at the crowd.

I'd carved up two of the thugs before anyone took notice, their auras failing to provide resistance once more. I waded into the crowd with a fury. I didn't focus one who I was hitting, only that I was hitting someone. It didn't take long for them to realize I'd gone on the offensive. But the tight quarters of the group made it hard for them all to react at once. Even as I carved into and laid a fourth thug low, they were still trying to get bearing on me. None of them tried to shoot me, but the ones with weapons began to trying to gang up on me.

Some of them succeeded, and I felt them hitting me, blades cutting and stinging my skin. But I just kept moving, never letting any of their attacks sink deep enough or hit true enough to put me down. I just kept swinging.

 _… Everybody has the perfect solution~_

Then I felt the blade of the katana hit something, then wholly break free of the handle it was mounted to.

I didn't lose a step, I just kept going. Punching and kicking anyone not bright enough to move. People hit the floor, but I kept swinging, right until I found my focus and drew my .45 once more. Shots rang out and I heard cries of pain. I didn't focus, just aimed to maim and kill.

 _… But it's just hard to resist, the sweet seduction~_

I felt the slide lock back, and before I could load another magazine, I just began pistol-whipping anyone close to me.

… There ain't no trick to winning double what you bet~

Eventually though, my strikes stopped hitting anything. The thugs had all backed away from me in a giant circle. All armed and ready, but not close enough for me to do anything. They had me surrounded now.

 _… welcome to, **Revolution Roulette**.~_

The music petered off, and we were left with only the sound of everyone's breathing. I fell to a knee, feeling like my lungs were ready to burst into flame.

Then the lights kicked on blindingly bright, and I fumbled to turn my night vision off. These lights weren't hanging from the rafters I'd shot at not long ago, but were coming from further overhead. These ones weren't dying the room, in Red, black, and white either. The room's filter had disappeared and everything looked normal now.

The thugs had me encircled, guns, blades, and axes ready to come in at me. The only reason they hadn't riddled me yet was probably because they didn't want to shoot the guys across from them.

Looking around me though, I saw ten of them on the floor in close proximity to me. All in various stages of being dead or dying. That left about twenty of them to surround me, which looked about right. My .45 fell out of my hand and to the floor. I was exhausted.

A space opened up in the circle and Junior, plus his twin hookers, moved to fill it.

"Hmph." Junior huffed a vicious smirk on his face. "You really are a crazy dumbass."

"Like you have no idea." I growled, still pissed but too immediately exhausted to act.

"It's a shame." He shrugged "I could've used _ten_ guys like you and I'd run this whole damn city."

"You wouldn't be able to stand one of me." I spat back "I don't like being told what to do."

"Oh well, your funeral."

Junior flipped his bat around, and I watched as it transformed into the rocket launcher I'd seen him with earlier.

'Fuck's sake, is _everything_ a gun here?'

"Got any wiseass remarks, before I blow you apart?"

I stayed silent for a moment. Stayed calm for a moment. I was pretty sure there was no way out of this now. Not unless Junior was secretly an undercover cop and he chose right now to turn on everyone.

He didn't look like he was.

So I just took a deep breath and closed my eyes, figuring I should at least die without my lungs burning like atomic fire.

As I did, I was greeted by a familiar smell. My eyes opened, and I watched as the colors of the room began to mottle and blur.

And I began to smile.

"Yeah" I said, feeling myself redouble "Does anybody else smell that?"

Junior gave me a confused look, and I watched it spread through the circle.

"Is that supposed to be some sort of stupid joke?" Junior asked.

"Maybe." I answered.

I watched as one of the thugs suddenly went wide-eyed, and started looking around at everyone. Then he started screaming incoherently and opened fire. The thugs nearest him quick backed away in surprise, and the circle around me gave way. One of the thugs regained themselves momentarily though, and tried to restrain the thug.

"Arancio what the fuck are yo-o-OH FUCK!"

He quickly gave up trying that himself, and joined 'Arancio' in firing wildly around the room.

With that, madness descended on the room once more. The music came crashing back in along with it. Part of me had to wonder what they were all seeing, as they started violently murdering each other by mistake. For me, it was flaming Yao Guai.

Datura root is some scary shit.

But I knew the Yao Guai weren't real, and kept focused on Junior, who seemed to have no idea what was happening.

"What are you doing!?" Junior shouted to his men, narrowly avoiding get hit as one charged him with a hatchet. Junior smacked him upside the head with his rocket launcher before the thug even had a chance. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Cotton!?"

"Probably thinks you're some kind of scary monster." I said, grabbing my pistol and rising.

Junior turned back to me with a fury in his eyes and seethed "What did you do?"

"Paid a bit of karmic retribution to ya." I growled, more than willing to return his anger and then some. "So tell me, what do _you_ see?"

Junior blinked, and I could almost watch the fury melt from him. It was a steady, but visible process. Starting at his eyes and trickling down the length of his body. Anger and tension replaced by terror, ice cold terror. The color practically drained from him as whatever he saw caused him to slowly back away from me.

"Well tell me, Junior, what do you see?"

"G-get the fuck away from me!"

The moment he spoke, I knew what he would do next, he would try to hit first. Before he could, in one fluid motion, I returned my .45 to its holster and lunged at Junior with a Legion Assault. He couldn't get his weapon around in time to block it, and I punched him in the face at full force. He staggered and I began to lay into him, punching as hard and fast as I could force my body to give. Striking his ribs, stomach, face, neck, any place he made a target I was going to pummel him.

He seemed to regain himself for a second and tried to swing his rocket launcher at me. I dodged it handily, and countered like a scribe. I was going to throw every bit of malice I had at him. Each hit I gave, I knew he wasn't feeling most of, his aura would let him slough it off. That just made me want to hit even harder. I might not have been able to hurt him, but I would carve my intentions into him regardless.

A wise woman once said that the Caravan code of the Wastes is simple. You don't fuck with the one who brings you your mail. I didn't have any letters or parcels. But I was delivering a message, one written in a language people like Junior spoke.

Junior made another swipe with his rocket launcher, but this time I didn't bother dodging it. Instead, I just slammed him with a Ranger Takedown. I watched him clear fifteen feet, easy, smacking into a pair of thugs who were strangling each other on the way down.

 _Everybody loves the perfect solution, to beat the odds against the poorest poss-ible substi-tution!~_

In a rare moment of insight, I paid mind to the twins who now stood next to me, and had watch my attack on Junior.

I looked at them for a moment without saying a thing.

They said nothing in turn, but gave each other a look.

They then turned and calmly, if briskly, walked to the exit of the building.

'Smart.'

As I turned to look back at Junior though, I saw he'd already brought his rocket launcher back to play, the business end pointed my way. In a movement so quick I swear I heard the sound barrier break; I drew my .45, dropped the magazine, slid a new one in, and released the slide. So fluid and seamless I felt like a _fucking machine_. By the time I had, Junior had just fired the rockets from the tube.

With hardly a fraction of a second in VATs, I took aim at the rockets as they were no more than a foot away from Junior. I pulled the trigger only once, but got treated to the sight of watching Junior's weapon explode in his hands _spectacularly_.

Even before the ball of fire had subsided, I ran at Junior. Diving through the fire and unloading at the spot where he'd been. I came out the other side of the fireball and found I'd missed. The explosion had blown Junior an even _further_ distance away from where he'd been, and was currently crumpled on the ground. I saw his aura flicker around him for a moment before fading. He clutched his right arm in his left hand, and something looked wrong with his otherwise massive jaw. Like it was dislocated or broken.

All I took from it was that his aura was gone.

I raised my pistol and pulled the trigger.

 _What you see is never what you're gonna get~_

The gun jammed, A spent cartridge was stove-piped in the ejection port.

Junior realized it.

"Son of a Goodwitch!" I growled, quickly racking the slide. My attempt at quickly fixing the jammed round just caused it to fall back into the receiver proper.

Junior wasn't waiting for me to stop fucking up. He turned and bolted for the doors of the club, now open thanks to the twins leaving before him.

"No!" I roared, finally clearing the jam.

I'd been too slow though. He'd gotten out of range.

I sprinted after him, maneuvering past the thugs who were still in the process of killing each other.

 _Everybody's playing~_

Junior reached the stair leading out well ahead of me, and slid the steel doors shut to slow me down.

 _Everybody's playing~_

I bounded up the stairs two at a time, practically crashing into the doors. The steel held firm against my impact and weight. I wasted no time in reaching for the edges though, and began to pull the doors with all my strength.

 _Everybody's playing, REVOLUTION ROULETTE!~_

I pulled, and one of the doors lid before the other. I slammed it with all my might, and it rolled smoothly to the end of its track, and broke free of it. Falling to the floor with a thunderous *BOOM*.

 _REVOLUTION ROULEEEEETTE~!_

The music grew softer as I left the club behind me, though the air-raid siren still pierced the air well. I raced out of the entry way, following the only path Junior could have taken, and burst out onto the street.

The night had hardly changed since Yang and me had walked in. The stars were still out, the air was still humid, electricity still buzzed through the air.

And Junior was nowhere in sight. He'd vanished into the night.

I scanned the streets and alleyways. Looking for movement, listening for sound, searching for any clue as to where Junior was.

I got nothing.

"… DAMMIT!" I screamed, hoarse, tired and angry. Junior had gotten away.

Killing him may not have been a priority, but letting him free did not sit well with me. I stood there for a moment. Catching my breath, calming down, re-focusing on the world around me. My body hurt like hell, and probably looked like it too.

As I breathed, I took note of my surroundings, trying to find little oddities that would distract me. Broken lights, intact windows, signs of a building that hadn't been burgled yet, that sort of thing.

The only thing I took of note though, was a solitary bird sitting on the nearest light post. I only took note of it because some of the lamplight was deflecting off of its feathers in deep opalescent hues of green and blue. That and, well, it was the only bird I could see presently. I wasn't quite sure what it was either. Crows were common back in the Mojave, the feathered little bastards weren't short of carrion. But I'd read that there were other birds like them, both in demeanor and appearance. I think they were called Grackles... or Jackdaws... or was it Ravens?... It wasn't important. It was just odd to see it sitting there.

The little bird seemed to cock its head at me, and I stared up at it for a moment. Fearless little bugger.

"Fly away, Jack." I growled "Lest I ensure you bother me nevermore."

The bird squawked a sour note, then dipped off the lamp post and flew off into the night. I probably wouldn't have actually bothered it if it hadn't. But, let that tell you something, having it watch made me feel guilty.

When I was calm, I took note of the silence behind me. The fighting had stopped, so either all of Junior's boys were now dead or close to it. Ahead of me on the street, Yang's bike sat undisturbed, so at least we hadn't been robbed _and_ assaulted.

I continued listening, not sure what I was listening for, just to wound up to stay calm.

Because of that, I heard the sound of police sirens in the distance. Recognizable from our night on the docks not more than a week or two ago.

It sent an alert down my spine, but by this point I was so doped on adrenaline my mind didn't give it immediate priority.

Instead, I just turned back around and stalked back into the club.

I reached the steel doors to the club and stared out of the sight of the battle. Because that's what it had turned into, a battle. There were bodies and blood everywhere. Some from bullet holes. Most from people being brutally hacked to pieces, and flaming Yao Guai that were currently munching on them for tasty snacks.

The place was half destroyed by this point, and it was going to take more than some duct tape to fix it.

I crossed the ruined dance floor and surveyed the carnage further. I couldn't recognize anyone I'd killed from the people who'd been killing each other. But just because I couldn't didn't mean someone else couldn't.

I reached the bar, and walked behind it.

Yang was still there. Sleeping like a rock and looking like nothing had just happened.

"… at least one of us can rest easy…"

I shook my head, and picked Yang up, hoisting her over my shoulder. I wasn't going to do anything with her, but letting her lie on the dirty floor wouldn't have been polite. I carried her around the front of the bar and pulled a chair out to rest her on.

Before I could, Yang made a gurgling, retching sound. I then felt something warm trailing its way over my shoulder and down my back. I was then reminded of the body's _other_ means of expelling toxins.

"Oh, that's just fucking perfect. Thanks, Yang."

I set her in the chair and took my shirt off. What was left of it anyway, now that it was cut to ribbons, blown apart, and covered in puke. I set it on the bar and walked back around once more. I took a few moments to peruse Junior's stock of liquors and found one that looked suitably brown.

I lifted my mask up and went to take a swig from it. Before I did though, I stopped. Remembering what'd lead _into_ this situation. There was no telling how Junior'd spiked our drinks. For all I knew, his entire stock was spiked.

It probably wasn't, but now wasn't the time to test it.

So I just slid my mask back into place, and leaned against the bar with my bottle. I was pissed. This entire situation had turned into one large clusterfuck. I was fed bad hooch, I had to fight for the life of both me and Yang, Junior escaped and left me with more questions than answers, and to top it off I couldn't even get drunk.

I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but it wouldn't do me any good.

So I just glared at Yang. For a long, sullen moment.

Then something in me snapped.

"… You know, this was a pretty 'whisky' situation you got us both in." I grumbled to Yang

She gave no response.

"All I wanted was a nice night of drinking, not this pain in the glass."

Still nothing.

"I've been in some pretty bad places, but this one is pretty sub-bar"

I started chuckling

"Heh- I'm honestly feeling a bit burnt right now, even a little _sour_."

My chuckling began to devolve into exhausted laughter.

He he hah, it's a good thing we went to a club… Pff- HA HA HA-"

I doubled over on the bar with laughter. I needed some sort of outlet for how I felt at the moment. If I wasn't able to be angry, I guess laughing worked as well.

"HA Ha, holy _shit_ , we almost died..." I breathed and let the laughter subside, then gave Yang a lopsided look. "Boy am I glad you're unconscious right now. Otherwise there'd be no way you'd let me live this down…"

For a moment, I entertained the idea of just coming up with more stupid, club and bar-based puns. Then I shelved the idea. There were more pressing issues at the moment than trying to hold onto the tattered shreds of my sanity. The Cops were coming. We were at the scene of an absolutely _vicious_ crime. My finger prints were all over it, and things were generally grim. It didn't matter I'd done it to keep someone safe, what'd happened here would be hard to justify. We couldn't stay, but if we left things as they were, the cops would probably track us down eventually… maybe. They weren't bright, but something like this was sure to light a fire under someone's ass. Maybe some hunters if someone hired them to investigate… yeah, that seemed more likely.

I looked down at the bar. Then out to the bodies strewn about the place. Then at the bottle in my hand. Then the ones behind me. Then my tattered shirt.

"…" I gave a heavy sigh "Such a waste."

* * *

 **Honestly, after writing this, I feel like I need a drink too. This isn't the longest chapter I've written so far, I think the honor of that goes to ch. 21 (Intermission 3). But The only chapter I can compare it to in terms of having to write is a chapter that I wrote a year ago, that's been shelved for the time being. I think I can chalk part of the reasoning up to busy work schedule, and the rest to having to re-work my original plan for the confrontation. I hope it was at least somewhat entertaining / what you guys were hoping for.**

 **Also, just to handle all of the immediate responses, Yes, I did plan on using Cardiac Arrest.**

 **"Someguy_the_Anon": *Courier after hitting a wall for the umpteenth time*: "SOMEONE DIES TONIGHT!"**

 **"ShadyXLR": Wouldn't have believed you if I hadn't looked it up. In hindsight, it makes sense that they would. You'd have to wear those things for extended periods and would probably get thirsty. My only defense is that the Riot Gear helmet doesn't appear to have something like that. The main filter has a spike protruding from it, But I honestly have no clue.**

 **"Ediros": He doesn't have most of those on hand, and I did account for Endurance and Cardiac arrest. Otherwise this chapter would've been radically different.**

 **"thepkrmgc": Does it still count as a loss?**

 **"ProjectShadow06": plot**

 **"Aren_serathy: :)**

 **"Guest(1)": Like I said, a morgue's worth of corpses**

 **"Ssj1998": Yes :)**

 **"Anonamous_Elephent": The rarest!**

 **"daggercloak000": Here you go**

 **"The_Reader": Not at all, it just means you like the story.**

 **"Guest(2-27)": Thank you for commenting, you just kept putting a smile on my face. Have a comment award and wear it proudly :)**

 **"Cutofffriend993": You are indeed correct sir**

 **Alright, the next one is only going to be a few pages long (watch me jinx myself) and is going to wrap up intermission 7 as a whole. After that, one more chapter and the intermission is done. And yes, I mean one chapter and not Chapter 8-1-2-3-4-etc.**

 **This Fanfic was brought to you by Ms. Malachite's thug emporium: "For all your discount thuggery needs, it has to be malachite. Everything else is shite."**

 **Also, "Revolution Roulette" is property of the Poets of the Fall and Playground Music.**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


	29. Intermission 7-4: Morning in the After

_**Special Thanks to Mecharic for Beta-ing**_

It didn't take much convincing from Dhatri to get me on the bounty trail. I was always short for caps, and I could think of no better way to collect than tracking down some ne'er-do-wells and checking one more problem off the list. Considering what Dhatri told me about them as well, they most certainly qualified. After taking a rest, Cass and I got to work.

All the bounties were Fiends, unsurprisingly. At least it made finding them a bit easier, since they tended to stick to the lower west side of Vegas, near Vault 3.

First on the list was Violet. From what I gathered she raised and bred dogs. For whatever measure a drug addled nut-case can 'raise' or 'breed' animals anyway. At the time when we took care of her, the fiends still hadn't pieced together who'd been around for Motor-Runner's death. So that gave us an opportunity to get fairly close to her before we did the deed. Good thing too, since Dhatri wanted us to, of all possible things, _chop their heads off for proof_. At what point having to decapitate someone became the only means of verifying their death, I have no idea.

Regardless, it gave us a better idea of who we were going to be killing before getting to the nitty gritty.

The first thing she did when she saw us was to bark like a dog and threaten to feed our 'meat' to her dogs.

So naturally, she was butt-fuck insane.

It only got worse from there, too. As far as terrible people in the wasteland go, someone trying to kill you and feed you to their pets is pretty standard. You might even consider them a good owner, if it weren't for the whole 'trying to kill you' part.

Next on the hit parade, however, was Driver Nephi. A fiend who, if I understood Dhatri right, treated his subordinates like meat-shields so he could get in close to the enemy and cripple them with a driving iron. Dhatri hadn't been clear on what happened after that, but given he said something to the effect of people being 'collared', I had to assume they either died or got sent to Caesar. Complicating things further, he was fast and knew how to take a hit. So Cass and me needed to come up with a way around that. The easiest one we had, was to enlist some of Dhatri's battalion, First Recon, to provide fire support while we drew Nephi's attention. They apparently had a score to settle with him anyway, and were willing to help. It worked surprisingly well, Me and Cass had little trouble poking holes in Nephi's boys while the man himself was trying to eat potshots coming from half a mile away.

At least, it was working well until one of the snipers got lucky and blew the top third of Nephi's head off.

Dhatri still accepted Nephi's head, mangled as it was, thanks to a testimonial from the trooper that shot him. But we got a little less than half the pay of the full bounty for it, which sucked.

Last up was the worst of the bunch though, Cook-cook. Who, as it also turned out, was that dirty looking mofo I'd seen when we'd left Vault 3 after dealing with MotorRunner. Cook-cook was also apparently one of the worst pieces of human trash to ever appear in the wasteland. I didn't have a lot of specifics, but apparently the most _recent_ heinous act on his otherwise massive laundry list was raping one of Dhatri's immediate subordinates. Both repeatedly and with the likely intent to turn them into stew afterwards.

Apparently, he was also an excellent cook. Bastard.

Problem was, by that point we'd succeeded in pissing off the fiends to the point that even their drug dried brains figured out the whole 'khan drug dealer' bit was a sham. We could've tried assaulting the area around Vault 3, and we'd probably kill quite a few of them, up to and possibly including Cook-cook. Of course, doing that was probably also going to kill us. Which would've been problematic, since I really wanted to be able to spend the cash I was earning. Trying to sneak in and kill him quietly wasn't a completely viable idea either. If he managed to get the drop on guys like the ones in First Recon, I couldn't count on him being dumb enough to not watch out for someone trying to do the same to him. On top of that, if I got caught, I'd be fighting the army of fiends anyway, which would just defeat the purpose.

But after a little digging, I managed to come up with something: Cook-cook had a- um… 'pet' Brahmin named Queenie. He loved the thing; I mean _really_ loved the thing. Apparently, there were stories of him going completely berserk if people looked at her funny. Before he promptly roasted them to cinders. Maybe not uncommon behavior for a fiend, but a tad strange nonetheless.

So rather than waste precious time, lifeblood, and ammo trying to fight any army of fiends for a single bounty, Cass and me got smart. I took one of the litany of rifles I'd collected, a carbine of some kind or another, I think, and set up with Cass in some ruins not too far from where they kept Queenie. The plan had been to Kill Queenie, have Cook-cook lose it, then get butchered by the rest of the fiends for being a fucking nut-sack.

It didn't go like that.

At all.

I wasn't surprised when he'd managed to torch two or three fiends. But when he doubled that number and continued hunting for more of them, _then_ I was surprised. Even from our vantage point amongst the ruins, Cass and me could see the fires blazing over the walls surrounding Vault 3. Cook-cook lived up to his moniker and torched the whole fucking place.

Yet, somehow, he _still_ came out of it alive.

By that point though, he'd completely run out of ammo and his armor was little more than scrap. Cass blew his kneecaps out and I took his head off with a fire axe. He got off easy.

On an unrelated note, I also filched his recipes. Making the mental note to swap out his 'meat' preferences for Brahmin, big-horner, or something else where applicable.

After that though, we hoofed it back to Dhatri and collected the last bit of pay.

"Son of a bitch." Dhatri said, looking completely surprised but not at all displeased. "I didn't think you'd actually be able to do it."

"It's not that big of a deal." I said, passing off Cook-cook's head. "Any jack-ass could've done it."

"Yeah, but you're the jack-ass that did, so thank you."

With that, he deposited the remaining caps into my hand, which promptly deposited them into my coin purse.

"There wouldn't be any chance of you having a few more bounties hidden away, would there?"

"Ha, no, though if there were, I'd give them to you." Dhatri chuckled dryly "The four fiends you've bagged were the ones giving us the most trouble. Anyone else beyond that isn't my concern at the moment."

"Damn, well I guess all good things come to an end, right?"

"Mm, sorry to say. If I had anything else, I could direct you towards, I would. Especially since I'll be having to move my unit to Forlorn Hope now that the Fiends've been handled. Afraid that'll be the Colonel's call from here on."

"You sure you've got nothing for me then?" I asked "Doesn't even have to be bounty hunting, maybe you just need someone to look into something for you."

Dhatri just gave another dry chuckle. "Well, I do need someone to talk to one of my subordinates, but I don't think you'd be qualified for it. As for bounties, NCR has a bureau for that back west. But it hasn't gotten established here yet, due to some of the issues you've helped clear up…"

A thought occurred to Dhatri, and he pulled out a slip of paper and scrawled something onto it before holding it to me.

"What's that?" I asked

"The coordinates for a local contractor." Dhatri answered "There're a few private firms here in the Mojave that have handled most of the heavy lifting while we work to get the bureau established. This one has a good reputation if you're interested. Would probably pay well in the meanwhile if you're waiting to hear from Hsu."

"Hmm… I'll keep it in mind." I grunted "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Dhatri nodded "I gotta go rouse the troops. Take care."

With that he turned and walked off towards the barracks outside the McCarran concourse. Seeing no need to stand around, I turned and headed towards Cass. She was sitting on a bit of debris on the path leading from the concourse to the main gate.

"We make out good?" Cass asked

"Something close to fifteen hundred." I said, holding out some of the money "You want your cut?"

"…Nah, you can hold onto it for now. Not much I'd spend it on anyway."

"Aight, just tell me when you do."

I put the money back and held out the slip of paper Dhatri'd given me. I explained the situation to Cass and marked the coordinate down in my pip-boy before ditching the slip.

"So, what's next?" Cass asked

"Not too sure." I shrugged "Kinda want to keep making money, but I've got no clue when Hsu's going to come calling."

"Sounds like a problem you need to figure out." Cass said smirking.

"Mmm… Tell you what, I'm hungry." I said, heading for that gate "How about we call it a day and head for the 38?"

"Figure it out in the morning?" Cass asked

"Something like that."

"Heh, sounds good to me, I need a shower anyway. Just being near that last Fiend felt like I was rolling around in the mud."

"He was certainly a dirty one, that's for sure… Still though-" I took out Cook-cook's recipes and began reading them over. "His recipes seem solid."

"… Please tell me you aren't actually considering trying them."

"Why not?" I asked "Swap out some of his choices and they're still serviceable."

"…"

"…Don't you look at me like that."

…

"-isappearances continue to baffle police." A voice squawked from nearby.

I slowly popped my eyes open, and made sense of where I was. It took a moment because everything was off angle. But I could recognize the makeshift bunk bed that was in my line of sight. Except I didn't understand why it was set at a vertical ninety degrees, or sticking to the wall. Or how the bodies lying in them were staying so easily in place.

Then my bleary mind caught up to the rest of me and puzzled out that I was just lying on the floor.

"In other news-" The voice continued, it was a woman's "Local nightclub and hide-away 'The Cave' caught fire late yesterday evening and burned into the early hours of this morning."

'The cave?... Is that what that place was called?'

I gave a small groan of discomfort and began picking myself up, coming to my hands and knees for support. A small look around confirmed my suspicions, I was in my teammates' room.

I did a quick recall about how I'd gotten here just to make sure I hadn't finally cracked. A quick mental re-run had me dragging Yang into the room and hoisting her up onto her bunk, then feeling exceptionally tired and the floor looking very comfortable.

'Yep, sounds about right.'

I finished picking myself up and stretched a bit, cracking and popping all the joints that'd settled into place from lying on the ground. M A cursory glance at Yang showed I'd even tucked her, like a gentleman.

"Police have presently declined to comment or release information regarding the blaze to the general public. However, they have stated that the club's owner, a one Junior Xiong, has not yet been located and is wanted for questioning."

The mental fog cleared enough that I finally figured out where the voice was coming from. There was a scroll set on the bookshelf between the two beds, closest to Yang and Blake's bunks, the window above it trickling sunlight in and beginning to brighten the room. I also pieced together that the woman was talking about what'd happened last night. Or at least the results of it.

Rather than risk the newscaster, who I was fairly sure was Lisa Lavender, saying something she shouldn't; I voted to get up and figure out how to silence the Scroll. My body was notably piqued at my decision to keep moving, but once I was in motion it made no indication it was going to shut down on me. Most of my wounds were scabbed over, and I could vaguely recall bandaging myself up after we got back. I took care not to draw too much attention to us on the way back either.

Part of me had to hope I either hadn't bleed too much on Yang, or had bothered to clean it up if I had. That was an explanation I wasn't prepared to give.

I ambled to the book shelf, and tapped at the scroll like a caveman, trying to imitate how I'd seen everyone else do it.

The glassy screen lit up for a moment, displaying a flashing array of numbers. It took my brain a second to identify it as a time stamp, and was probably some type of alarm.

That was getting annoying. I needed some coffee ASAP.

At my touch though, the voice cut out and the scroll reverted back to a different screen.

"Six?" A small voice asked.

I looked to my left and watched as Ruby, dressed in a black tank top and half covered by her blanket, sat up in her bunk and looked toward me. She looked to be half-asleep still and a bit bleary as well.

"Mornin' tiny." I grunted, twisting to my left and cracking my back and shoulders.

"What're you doing here?" She asked, groggy.

"Fell asleep on your floor… I think."

"… Why?"

I shrugged, "I was tired."

Snowflake made a groaning noise and looked to be stirring, a glance back over my shoulder said Blake was doing the same, but much more peacefully. Part of me wondered if she hadn't woken up first and was just mentally steeling herself. Faunus were supposed to have really sharp sense, if I remembered correctly.

Regardless, I was taking it as my cue to probably take off before everyone was completely cognizant.

Right up until Yang made a noise that reminded me of a deathclaw's death rattle, and pushed herself up from her bed. Her movements were slow and jerky, she began to open her eyes and a look of searing pain shot through her face.

"Mornin' to you too, sunshine."

She pulled her pillow over her face and clamped down tight, rolling over in her bed and away from the window. She made a sound I could equate to being given by someone who'd received a thorough kick to the head.

I could empathize, hangovers _suck_.

"What happened last night?" Ruby asked, still not too clear headed.

I looked back over to Yang for a moment, and noticed she'd pulled the pillow away from her head enough to look at me. There was an inquisitive gleam to them. I figured she wouldn't have had much idea what'd happened after Junior drugged her. But I'd also counted on having more time to digest it myself or come up with something, which I could guess I wasn't going to get.

So I told the… 'Technical' truth.

"… Got into a little scrape with the club's owner." I answered after a moment's debate. "'Handled it, then enjoyed the rest of our night… may or may not have burned the club down."

"Again?~" Ruby whined "Yang, you promised dad that wouldn't happen.~"

Yang made a muffled sound that was somewhere between groaning and vomiting.

"… I feel like I should be surprised, but at this point I'm not." I shrugged "Anyway, last day of break girls, classes start up again tomorrow. I suggest you make the most of your day."

I turned and ambled towards the door.

"Where're you going?" Ruby asked.

"To make the most of the day… and get a shower."

"But-"

I walked out of the room and started towards my closet. Building momentum as I moved. I had some things to take care of today, but not a whole lot of time to do them. As such, it was time for a game plan.

First on the list: Take a shower. I felt like shit.

…

A tense disquiet settled over the room of team RWBY following the Courier's departure. All four of its occupants were awake and gaining further cognizance with each passing moment.

With a huff, the heiress of the group sat up in bed and turned to sit on the edge of it in her pale nightgown, her hair unruffled and reaching past the small of her back. She pinched the bridge of her nose and looked to the golden brawler across the room from her, who was still mostly obscured by a pillow.

"… So, Yang." Weiss said slowly "What did we learn?"

"…"

With little more than a groan, Yang recovered the rest of her face and rolled back over in bed.

Weiss gave another aggravated sigh. "Perfect."

* * *

 **Like I said, just wanted to give a little wrap up to everything that happened throughout chapter 7. I know this one's mostly filler and fluff, but there was no better place to put it. This was originally supposed to be the beginning for Intermission 8, but I get the feeling 8's already going to be heavily weighted without throwing this fluff on. So here it is. Next chapter will be around when it's ready.**

 **No responses this time, sorry, will hit'em next time. :P**

 **Adios.**

 **-Ash**


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